A Rogue's Call to Arms
by accursedone17
Summary: Laura has spent her whole life trying to escape the pain her father caused her, doing her best to not let the past destroy her. However, when the accelerator explosion sends her into a coma, Laura wakes up nearly a year later, changed in so many ways. But with these changes also comes the chance to put her past behind her and make a difference in the world.
1. Chapter 1: The Incident

**Hey guys! I know that it's probably the worst thing for me to be posting a story while I have another one in the works and while I'm just getting into the college vibe, but this idea has been with me for a while now, so I hope you enjoy. Also, I don't own any of these characters or else I would be a pretty rich person right now.**

 **Reviews are loved!**

* * *

 _Central City, 2013_

This was it. Her final chance.

One more round of experimenting, and then her funding would either be continued or cut off.

Without any funding, she would be just another intern, handing her boss coffee every morning and screening his calls. She would be nobody once again.

Carefully, she slid the giant plastic wrapped slab of ice that had been sitting in the freezer for weeks on to her table. As she reached for the tools on her trolley, her phone pinged, and she answered it with resignation.

 _Hey! Finally turning on the accelerator! U coming? :)_

Right. Tonight was the big opening event of S.T.A.R. Labs' biggest project in years: the particle accelerator. Or, as everyone who had continuously worked on it for the past two years called it, the Pipeline.

The Pipeline was going to put the S.T.A.R. on the maps, according to Dr. Wells. She knew that she should be down there with her colleagues, watching as the beauty of physics that was the Pipeline was activated in front of hundreds of people, but she never really had been a big fan of parties. Or a fan of crowds either, now that she thought about it, all alone in her small, private lab, with the blinds pulled shut and the lights dimmed.

 _Sorry, Cis. IQ doesn't do well with parties._ She texted back, desperately hoping that he wouldn't respond and just let her be. No such luck.

 _Come on. There's chocolate! :)_

 _Cisco._

 _Fine. :(_

She waited a few seconds, just in case he decided to bribe her with chocolate - one of her few weaknesses - but nothing came after that. It was a bit disappointing that he hadn't tried harder, and she silenced her phone with a small sigh, pocketing it once again. Honestly, it would have been nice if he'd persisted, but her put downs usually scared people off the first time, so he'd probably thought it was better to leave her alone. The nickname Ice Queen didn't come from her happy mood and chipper personality, after all.

Truth be told, Cisco was one of the few people she liked having around.

A bit more somber now, she reached up and slid the plastic wrap off of the ice, relishing in the cold mist that had greeted her every week for two years now. If she didn't do something productive or amazing tonight, then she would have to give up the joy of having a private lab all to herself, so she set about cutting the ice open immediately with one of the power saws Dr. Wells had allowed her to bring in.

"Alright, fellas, let's see what we have tonight." She muttered to herself as she sliced off a large chunk of the ice and slid it on to the trolley. Her arms ached as she pushed it towards the computer, where she positioned the cart underneath the high definition camera hooked up to the ceiling and took her place at the screens. The timing for this had to be perfect, absolutely perfect, or else everything would be for naught. God, had she just used the word 'naught'? She was turning into her brother.

Her fingers worked deftly with practiced ease as she turned on the lights and the camera, setting the magnification to its highest point. As it adjusted, she turned off the room lights and shut off her phone, just in case one of her colleagues decided she was spending too much time by herself. She did like having them around, despite what everyone else said about her, but sometimes, it was good to be alone.

Laura stepped back a bit, her blue eyes focusing on the screens above her. At first, all she could see was snow white, and for a moment, her heart faltered. This couldn't be the end.

Then, something moved. Her heart faltered for a second before she realized that panic wasn't an option. She reached blindly for the controls, until whatever had moved before did it again. And again.

"Holy shit."

Laura watched as the tiny organism on her screen moved around, and she grinned so wide, it would have made Cisco's head spin. A tiny laugh bubbled up in her throat, and Laura felt extremely grateful of the fact that no one was there to see it.

She couldn't believe she'd done it. Her entire project had been based off of the idea that ice could contain a new kind of organism, one able to survive the coldest temperatures known to man. Nobody had believed her at first - the field of ice was fairly new and highly underappreciated - but the little thing on the screen would prove everyone wrong. Another laugh escaped her, but it was cut off suddenly by the blaring of an alarm. The lights suddenly dimmed, and the red emergency lights switched on seconds later.

"What the hell?" She muttered, wrenching her eyes away from the screen. Her phone buzzed a second later, the screen lit up with a call.

"What?"

"Laura! Thank God! Listen, there's something wrong with the accelerator. You need to get out!"

"Cisco, what-" Laura yelled into the phone, her mind racing from the truckload of information she'd just received. Nothing should have gone wrong tonight. The Pipeline was supposed to be flawless. Suddenly, a wave of immense heat passed over her and the phone fell from her hand as her body crumpled to the ground, as heavy as lead and completely numb. Her mind was filled with panic as a screeching noise filled her lab, and Laura closed her eyes, willing for it to just stop.

"Laura, get out now!" She heard Cisco shout. She could just begin to see flames licking at the door.

 _Nice knowing you._

That was the last thing she heard before a wave of cold enveloped her, and the world went white.


	2. Chapter 2: The Awakening

_"_ _You stay away from her!"_

 _"_ _You don't tell me what to do, you little brat!"_

 _"_ _AH!"_

 _"_ _Just be glad I didn't hit you harder. Too much like your mother."  
_

* * *

 _"_ _It's okay. Don't cry."_

 _"_ _I hate him. I hate him so much."_

 _"_ _I know. I hate him too."_

 _"_ _I wish we could leave. Just…just go."_

 _"_ _Not without her."_

* * *

 _"_ _Laura? You still in there?"_

 _"_ _Y-yeah."_

 _"_ _You can come out now."_

* * *

 _"_ _A-are you hurt?"_

 _"_ _No more than usual. Hey, hey, don't cry. I'm fine, I promise."_

 _"_ _I don't like it when he yells."_

 _"_ _I know. I don't either."_

 _"_ _I'm scared."_

* * *

 _"_ _Do you really hate Daddy?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_

 _"_ _I hate him too."_

 _"_ _No, you don't. Not yet."_

* * *

 _"_ _Where're you going?"_

 _"_ _Down to the store."_

 _"_ _Can I come too?"_

 _"'_ _Fraid not, kiddo."_

* * *

 _I hate you._

* * *

It was cold.

She didn't like the cold, not really. Most people would assume that she preferred the cold because she worked with ice. Ice, she was fine with. Ice was fascinating. Entire continents made up of ice simply sitting at the either end of the world, holding so much potential discovery about one of the greatest feats of nature. Seeing a nature documentary on icebergs for the first time, albeit on a crummy TV barely bigger than her grade school lunchbox, had sparked her love for science, and for ice.

She shivered as yet another frigid wave of cold passed through her. Her entire body felt detached from all reality, as if she were floating in the infinite darkness that surrounded her. The heaviness that weighed down her limbs weighed down her eyes as well.

 _Fire._

A scream nearly tore its way out of her throat as images of flames flashed before her eyes, and she remembered everything. She remembered falling to the floor, alarms blaring as someone – Cisco, Cisco Ramon – screamed for her through the phone. She remembered being unable to move. She remembered her skin burning and cracking as fire engulfed the room. She remembered closing her eyes. She remembered being cold.

 _Help me_.

Her entire body was burning, as if every cell in her body was trying to rip away from each other and tear her apart. It was becoming almost unbearable, and Laura could barely suppress a scream as the sensation peaked. Fluid entered her lungs, and she started to choke on it, her eyes flashing open to meet only a burning sensation and a world of murky grey and blue streaks. Her hands lashed out, hoping to grab on to something, but they only met cold hard metal. Through her panic, she dimly recognized that she was floating in some sort of tank.

 _"_ _Laura!"_

The voice calling out to her was laced with fear and confusion and muffled by the liquid she floated in, yet it only served to increase her panic. Laura suddenly heard a deafening whirring, the noise amplified in the liquid, and her vision was blinded with white light as the metal before her disappeared. However, the pain the light caused was quickly overshadowed by the sensation of skin burning. Her entire body felt as if it were on fire, and Laura screamed in agony. Everything burned. It was just too much.

 _Not like this. Please, not like this._

Suddenly, she was being pulled upwards, her body too heavy to move on her own, and Laura lashed out as the skin, overpowering the sensation of burning. As she screamed, Laura was dimly aware of her hands becoming numbingly cold, and a surge of energy rising in her chest. Laura was so far gone by the time the hands grabbing at her jabbed a needle into her neck that she wasn't even aware she'd lost the battle.

* * *

As Laura quickly plummeted into unconsciousness, Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow stared down at her and tried to stop their hands from shaking violently.

"No entiendo, no entiendo lo que está mal, no lo entiendo…" Cisco rambled, pacing back and forth around the small room as he wrung his hands out over and over again. Laura's screams of agony had frozen him on the spot, and his hands had shaken so much that he'd nearly missed her neck with the hypodermic needle that had ended her torment temporarily.

"Cisco-" Caitlin tried to butt in, but she was quickly cut off by Cisco's frantic rambling.

"¿Que esta mal? ¿Qué pasa con ella? ¿Por qué no se dejan de grit-"

"CISCO!"

The young man stopped short at the stern tone in Caitlin's voice, and he went still as she approached him. In the ten months they had worked together since the incident, they had developed a rhythm of sorts, but every so often, he would do something out of line, or forget to eat or sleep, and then he'd have to face the fury of the might Dr. Snow. Which usually ended up with them not speaking to each other for at least a few days.

"Stop that! It's just the tank. We knew when we put her in there that there would be side effects, but now that she's awake, we can help her. Okay?" Caitlin could be frightening at times, but now Cisco could plainly see that seeing Laura in so much pain had shaken her as well.

Ten months ago, in the hours following the explosion that had everyone talking for the next, well, Ten months, Cisco and Caitlin's phones had rung on opposite sides of the city.

 _"_ _We've found her. That colleague of yours that we weren't able to place."_

 _"_ _Laura? Laura Sanders?"_

 _"_ _Yes, her. But, you should know…she's probably not going to make it through the night."_

 _"_ _What? Can't you do anything to save her?"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry, but the way her temperature's been plummeting faster than we can manage, her organs are going to fail soon. And the burns covering her body have destroyed almost all of her nerve cells. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."_

* * *

 _"_ _Psychrophiles! Psychrophiles! Of course! Caitlin, you're a genius!"_

 _"_ _Cisco, what the hell are you talking about? Do you have any idea what time it is?"_

 _"_ _Three thirty in the morning, but I know how to save Laura! Meet me at the hospital in thirty minutes! We don't have much time!"_

 _"Steady. Steady. That's good."_

" _It's incredible. I've never seen anything like this."_

 _"I-I don't understand; the blast alon_ _e should have killed her."_

 _"_ _It seems Dr. Sanders is much more durable than she appears."_

And now, ten months later, Laura was awake. Months of monitoring her systems and constantly adjusting the temperature of the tank to keep her stable had not been spent in vain. Still, the pain they'd heard in her screams would be enough to keep both of them on their toes for a while longer. With a sigh each and a crick of Cisco's neck, they began to prepare her for the outside world.

 **Hey guys! I'm finally posting the second chapter of** ** _A Rogue's Call to Arms_** **, and I really hope you like it.**

 **Also, if anyone was wondering what Cisco was saying in Spanish, it's along the lines of this:**

 _ **I do not understand, I do not understand what is wrong, I do not understand**_

 **and**

 _ **What's wrong with her? Why won't she stop screaming?**_

 **Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter, and please review when you can!**


	3. Chapter 3: Major Changes

_Central City, 2014_

Laura woke up with a discernable and very uncomfortable crick in her neck and the overwhelming smell of anaesthetic, neither of which did absolutely nothing for the headache she was starting to develop. Groaning, she opened her eyes, which felt as if they'd been glued shut, only to find herself staring up at a familiar face.

"Cis-Cisco?"

"Oh, thank God." He sighed in relief, and Laura sat herself up, taking note of the hospital bed that was a far cry from comfortable. Her muscles protested the movement much too loudly, but Laura ignored the mounting pain and started to pull away the nasal cannula taped in place that was starting to itch, along with the multiple other probes that stuck to her arms, face and chest. However, before she could go any further, Cisco's hand shot forward and grabbed her hand before she could stop him.

"No. No way. We still need to keep an eye on your vitals." He scolded her firmly.

"Vitals? Cisco, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, good. You're awake. I need you to pee into this."

"Caitlin?" Laura just barely dodged the urine sample container that Caitlin shoved in her face, and held the other woman at bay while Cisco worked to remove the multiple probes and patches from her body. Even though she was sufficiently covered by a hospital gown, Laura felt a little bit uncomfortable wearing only a thin layer of cloth in front of people that she worked with for over four years.

"Cisco-Caitlin-guys, could you just please tell me w _hat the hell_ is going on?" They both took at least two steps at the sharp rise in her voice, but they were back almost two seconds later. Cisco looked just a tad too serious, and Caitlin – well, she was Caitlin – looked no different.

"Okay, Laura, you're going to need to stay calm for what we're about to tell you." She nodded, feeling sufficiently calm for whatever came her way.

"You've been in a coma for ten months."

Okay, never mind. Laura was on her feet before either of them could stop her.

"Start from the beginning. _Now._ " She saw Cisco swallow, before he was standing beside her, showing her a tablet computer in his arms.

"The particle accelerator had to be put on lockdown, Laura. You were one of the only people who wasn't on the ground floor, and when they found you...let's just say it was bad." Caitlin explained steadily as Cisco flipped through his tablet, until he found what he was looking for.

"This…this is you. Well, a thermal reading of you, taken two days ago." Laura watched as Cisco brought up an image, a silhouette really, that vaguely resembled her. She recognized it as a thermograph, designed to detect body temperature. Most of them, when taken of people or living things, displayed the subject and the varying degrees of radiation that they were exhibiting, commonly in shades ranging from red to yellow. However, as she stared at hers, Laura realized why Cisco had hesitated to show it to her.

Holy crap.

"Okay, okay, okay…that's impossible. Literally."

"That's what we said. Laura, your body is operating at temperatures that would shut down the entire human biological system in minutes." She took in the information as Caitlin spoke to her, but Laura could not take her eyes off of the deep blue silhouette, without an inch of red, orange or yellow in sight. The readings on the side indicated a body temperature of 28.4 degrees Fahrenheit. If she was correct, then at that temperature, the blood in her veins should be frozen. She should also be dead. And yet, as she stood there, Laura could still hear and feel the slightly elevated beating of her heart, as if nothing had changed

"That's not all." Caitlin exclaimed suddenly, and Laura's attention was diverted to another picture that Cisco brought up. She recognized it briefly as a human genome sequence, though there were a few things that didn't belong, circled in bright red.

"Is-is this my DNA?"

Cisco nodded vigorously. "Yeah, see, when you were d-when you were at the hospital, the doctors tried to give you some stuff that would have helped. But whatever they used didn't work, and that was because your body was actually being damaged. So, we did scans of everything we could think of to figure out why that was, and we found this."

"Parts of your DNA have been combined – spliced, really – with genes that we believe originate from the psychrophiles you discovered the night of the explosion. The blue parts represent the genes that we were able to identify."

Wait. Wait, what?

"My DNA was _spliced_? Spliced? That's insane. You're insane."

"Laura, I know it sounds crazy, but the theories in your notes about its survival functions actually explain why you're able to function normally with such a low body temperature. Since the psychrophiles from the ice were destroyed in the explosion, we weren't actually able to run any tests. But, we were able to determine from the recovered DNA that in a real-world environment, this bacteria would be able to maintain an inner body temperature close to that of its natural habitat in order to survive virtually indefinitely."

"So what you're saying is that my DNA has been mixed with the DNA of a now-extinct microorganism, and that I'm going to have to live with an internal sub-zero body temperature?"

When Caitlin and Cisco didn't respond within the next thirty seconds, Laura could guess the answer without any doubt.

"…wonderful."

* * *

Laura had been very shocked, to say the least, when Caitlin and Cisco filled her in about the rest of the incident. Seventeen people had been reported dead that night, and the building that had once been a gleaming beacon of knowledge and technology for the world to see was now an empty husk, with only the former control room of the particle accelerator kept running to keep Laura alive. And apparently one other person. Being as curious as she was, Laura had asked Cisco about who had been in the other bed, just a few meters away from her own, the one that she just barely caught a glimpse of before he pulled her out the door, but the only answer she got was: "Soon."

Now, in a small coffee shop downtown, wearing some spare clothes of Caitlin's, Laura was just a tad more than uncomfortable. Cisco had suggested that she relax before heading home to her apartment, and begrudgingly, she had accepted.

"What's wrong?" Cisco asked from across the table in the back of the small shop.

 _Apparently my ability to hide my emotions has weakened during my coma._ "Just _…_ it's weird, you know? Ten months of my life, gone. Seventeen people dead. This whole thing with my DNA. It's like I've stepped into the Twilight Zone, or something."

Cisco nodded and slurped at his coffee. Normally, she would have chided him for drinking more than three cups, but he seemed to need it, if the dark circles under his eyes were anything to go by. Or maybe the coffee was making things worse, as it usually did.

"But you don't feel it, right? Like, you don't have the urge to go spend the rest of your life in a meat locker? Or go swimming in the Arctic?" Laura shook her head in exasperation, hiding a smile at Cisco's crack behind her mug. To be honest, in the months before the explosion, she had distanced herself from him and her other colleagues, mainly because her desire to discover the organisms that were now extinct was so strong. Before she'd gotten the grant for the ice, she had only been able to call him an acquaintance while enjoying his jokes and his quirks from afar. They'd never been officially 'friends', but Laura could not imagine any situation in which she would not stand by Cisco.

"No. Just a bit cold, that's all." Laura shrugged. They fell in to a slightly awkward silence moments later, soothed by the chatter of the other customers. As Cisco checked his phone, glancing up at her apologetically, Laura raised her cup to her mouth, intending to take a sip of hot chocolate that made her mouth water. However, her lips only meet cold, hard ice.

"Shit!" She cried out and dropped the cup on to the table, where it shattered into pieces, bits of frozen hot chocolate mingling with jagged pieces of porcelain. Cisco jumped back in his seat, letting out a shout of his own, and the entire shop went silent. His eyes screamed at her for an answer, but Laura could only stared back at him, her hands clutched tightly to her chest as her vocal cords refused to work.

Silently, the two of them stood up from the table, ignoring the curious piercing stares sent their way by the other customers. While Laura stepped outside into the chilly October air, Cisco paid for the damaged cup, emerging a few minutes later with a look on his face that could only be translated as _What the fuck?_

"I don't know what happened, I swear. One minute, and the next..." He didn't say a word as she struggled to find her words, and his eyes shifted away from her face to her hands, his brow narrowing to form what she recognized as his 'thinking face'. After a few long minutes, he turned on his heels and entered the store again, exiting shortly afterwards with a water bottle. He didn't ask her to follow him, but she didn't anyway, hardly registering the fact that he was leading her into the alley behind the coffee shop.

"I have a theory. It's practically impossible, but from what I've seen this past month, that's no longer true - so I need you to hold this." He thrust out the water bottle towards her, and Laura hesitated for a second. The lingering memory of the shattered cup forced its way to the front of her brain, bringing back memories of shattered beer bottles and shouting and nights spent hiding in her bedroom closet. With a heavy swallow, she grabbed the bottle. Almost instantly, there was a change. It wasn't noticeable at first, but as they watched, Laura and Cisco could see the water inside the bottle start to _freeze_.

The white of the frozen water traveled through the rest of the bottle fairly quickly after that, and Laura had to hold it by the cap when the bottle started to crack as it expanded. When it was over, neither Laura nor Cisco could find any words to say as they stared at each other. Finally, Cisco spoke.

"We have _got_ to tell Caitlin."


	4. Chapter 4: Below Zero

"Okay, run through it one more time, and then we can take a break."

"Caitlin, you said the _exact_ same thing thirty minutes ago."

"And your point is?"

"...nothing."

Laura sighed, ignoring the feeling of a piercing glare on the back of her head, and reached for another water bottle. It had been almost an hour since she and Cisco had returned to S.T.A.R. Labs, and since then Caitlin had blocked her every attempt to take a break from freezing bottle after bottle. Even though she knew that the tests were for her own benefit, it was a bit difficult for Laura to not feel like some sort of circus animal, performing the same trick over and over again for someone else to enjoy.

However, just as the water in the bottle began to freeze, an unfamiliar, high-pitched whirring drew Laura's attention to the far end of the room. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see both Cisco and Caitlin stiffen minutely before regaining their composure, and Laura returned her gaze to the doorway, where a familiar face was just starting to emerge from the shadows.

"Dr...Dr. Wells?" Laura breathed, almost unable to believe her eyes. The last time she'd seen Harrison Wells, it had been mere hours from the activation of the accelerator, his calm exterior doing absolutely nothing to hide the excitement everyone in the building had been feeling that night. Now, the man radiated only an aura of exhaustion and weariness that she supposed only the people closest to him would be able to witness. Even though she'd known him for over five years, up until that exact moment he had continued to maintain an appearance that could only be defined as professional and occasionally aloof - arrogant, even. And she couldn't even _begin_ to process the wheelchair.

"Dr. Sanders. I'm glad to see you've finally awoken. Cisco, Caitlin, care to explain?" His attention was momentarily diverted by the large pile of water bottles on the trolley that Caitlin had brought out.

"We-we were just testing Laura's new abilities."

"Abilities?" One of his eyebrows quirked up.

Suddenly, one of her hands was gripped tightly in Dr. Wells', and even as the tips of his fingers started to turn white, he still held on, closely examining every inch of skin available to him. When he finally let go, Laura was relieved to see the tips of his fingers turn from white to bright red before slowly returning to their normal colour. She had not been looking forward to giving her former employer frostbite.

 _"Fascinating."_

"That's what I said," Caitlin exclaimed as she joined the two of them, "Dr. Wells, I have a theory that her internal body temperature might be transmitting through her skin. And there's a possibility that it may be linked to her emotional state."

"It appears that you are correct, Dr. Snow. Laura, how are you feeling?"

Laura took a second, weighing her options. "Cold."

She caught the corner of his mouth lift a bit out of the corner of her eye, which could be considered a win.

"Cisco, Caitlin, we need to run some tests – less theoretical, more practical." Wells gestured to them both, and turned his chair sharply around, which left Laura standing awkwardly in the middle of the small room while they started their tasks. Quietly, Laura made her way towards the small office in the corner of the room, where Wells was currently typing on the desktop set up there. He didn't look up when she poked her head in, but when she started to enter the office, his head shot up.

"Dr. Wells?"."

"Laura – how may I help you?"

"I was-was just concerned, sir. About your-you...I mean-" Laura choked as she struggled to find the right words, choosing at the last minute to instead gesture to her employer in general.

"Ah," he breathed, nodding his head in understanding, pausing in his work to direct his full attention to her, "I suppose Cisco and Caitlin wouldn't have deemed it appropriate to tell you without my consent. So, to answer your concerns, Dr. Sanders, yes, I was injured during the particle accelerator explosion, which managed to permanently paralyze me. It has been...difficult adjusting to my new situation, I must admit, but I believe it is the price I must pay for the damage done that night. But I believe that should be the least of your concerns, considering your current situation."

He was avoiding the topic, that much was clear, but the hard look in his eyes was enough to warn Laura against pressing the issue any further. "...thank you, sir. For everything."

"No need. Now, let's see what you can do about those tests."

* * *

Half an hour later, Laura was having second thoughts about testing out her abilities. She stood on the edge of an ice rink in the middle of the city as Caitlin and Cisco flooded the empty rink with hoses. As Cisco had put it, bottles were easy enough, but freezing enough water to cover an entire ice rink? That would be the real test. As Cisco continued to flood the rink by himself, Caitlin made her way over to Laura, carrying a large parka in her arms.

"This is the only thing that we could find. It should resist freezing for the time being, but tell us if anything starts to happen, and we'll stop the test. Okay?" Laura nodded, and Caitlin handed her the parka, which she slipped on. As she zipped it up, Laura's attention was momentarily drawn to the empty space on the third finger of her left hand. Ten months ago, that was where Caitlin's fiancé, Ronnie Raymond, had placed her engagement ring, days before they had decided to announce it to the entire building. Now, it was gone.

"Caitlin?" Caitlin looked up, her mouth set into a thin line, and Laura struggled for a few seconds to find the right words. She hadn't exactly been close with the other woman in the time that they had been colleagues, but she had still made an effort to know what was going on in her life. And from what she could remember, the last time she'd seen Caitlin, she'd been wearing the engagement ring that Ronnie Raymond had bought for her.

"Your...your ring. It's gone. Is Ronnie okay?" Caitlin deflated at those words, and Laura knew then that she had hit a nerve.

"No. No, Ronnie's dead, Laura. He was...he was one of the people who died in the explosion."

"Oh... _oh_ , God. Caitlin, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's okay, really. I'm dealing with it. Anyway, we need to start the test soon." Laura opened her mouth to protest, to offer any comfort she could to her colleague, but Caitlin was already walking away and back towards Cisco, the sharpness in her words sending her reeling. Despite what Caitlin had assured her, the other doctor was most definitely not okay. Even the excellent Dr. Snow had feelings, despite the story her cold exterior told the world. Ronnie Raymond had proven that, and it appeared that with his death, Caitlin had retreated back into the shell he'd brought her out of.

From the end of the ice rink, Cisco gave her a thumbs-up, the concrete surface of the rink covered with about two inches of water. The cooling units underneath had been shut down to properly evaluate the range of her abilities, but Laura was starting to get a bit nervous as she stepped up to the edge of the rink. With a quick glance at her colleagues, she got down on one knee and placed her hands in the water. When the water started to freeze a few moments later, it was a sight to behold. Intricate designs of frost spread throughout the rink as the water froze, and it rose just a bit as it expanded. Cisco and Caitlin made their way up to the bleachers and watched with matching expressions of awe as the water continued to freeze. Laura had to remind herself to breathe as she watched on with what was probably the same expression of wonder.

However, just as the water started to freeze past the halfway mark of the rink, it stopped. It simply just didn't go any further.

"What's going on?" Cisco yelled down at her.

"It won't go any further!"

"Maybe this is your limit!" Caitlin yelled back.

No, that wasn't it. It couldn't be. Laura wasn't exactly rooting for herself to have unlimited freezing powers, but she was positive that whatever powers she did have, their range was much, much larger. She could feel the cold – which was completely scientifically accurate, if anybody asked – tingling underneath her skin, waiting to be let out. Then, she had an idea.

A crazy idea, sure. But an idea, nonetheless. And in science, crazy ideas were often the ones that worked the best. Laura stood up, shaking off her hands of any excess water, and focused her sights on the other half of the rink that was still waiting to be frozen. She let out a shaky breath and steeled her shoulders, stretching out her arm past the edge of the rink, straight towards the unfrozen water. As the tingling grew in her hand, becoming almost painful, Laura closed her eyes, blocking out everything she could sense but the cold.

The bitter, numbing, painful, cold.

Laura's eyes shot open just as the cold left her hand in a stream of white light, flying across the rink and striking the water, the force of it nearly knocking her off her feet. As soon as the beam of cold hit the water, it froze instantly, the rest of it turning into ice faster than she could blink. Laura closed her hand as soon as the water was frozen, and reopened it after counting to five to a perfectly normal hand.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Laura turned just in time to see Cisco barrelling towards her, a huge grin plastered on his face, and she could not suppress her own grin. It had felt amazing, and it still did, the lingering bits of power giving her an adrenaline rush she'd never experienced before. As she stripped off the parka, which appeared to have actually partially frozen along the sleeves from her little display of power, Laura's attention was diverted to Dr. Wells' presence at the top of the bleachers. Even from afar , she could still see his wry smile.

 _Fascinating._

* * *

"I have got to say, you are my favourite metahuman right now." Cisco chuckled as he, Caitlin and Laura made their way back to what Cisco had apparently dubbed 'headquarters' at S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Metahuman?"

"Oh, right. You haven't seen the news. Well, it turns out a few other people were also affected by the particle accelerator in some pretty nasty ways; we call them metahumans. Most of them have been using them rob banks and stuff, so we've have Barry helping us take care of them."

"Wait, hold up. Who's Barry?" Laura was getting more confused by the second.

"Well, um…him, actually." Caitlin stammered out just as they passed the threshold into the room, and Laura followed her gaze, turning away from Cisco to get her first glimpse of this mystery Barry.

He was tall, taller than her, at least. That wasn't too hard. Skinny, too, but it was a deceiving kind of skinny; she could just see the faint outline of muscle underneath his long-sleeved shirt, not that she'd been looking for it. The brown crop of hair on the top of his head seemed to defy gravity. He also seemed to be waiting for someone – his foot was tapping so fast that she could hardly tell where the floor ended and where his foot began. As Caitlin and Cisco entered the room, his head – Barry's – shot up, and his gaze met hers, giving her the distinct feeling of a deer caught in headlights.

"I was wondering when you guys were going to get back, Dr. Wells told me on the phone that you were running some 'tests'."

"You bet we were." Cisco sounded way too proud of himself.

"So, um, who's she?" Laura knew they were talking about her, since he already seemed to know Caitlin and Cisco pretty well. Still, it did seem a bit off that he wasn't asking her directly. Maybe he was ADD.

"Oh! Barry, this is Laura Sanders. Laura, this is Barry Allen. You too have so much in common. I've had way too much sugar, and I've got some stuff to update, so you kids have fun." And with that, Cisco left to join Caitlin at the array of computer consoles in the middle of the room, leaving Barry and Laura to apparently get to know each other better.

"Nice to meet you. So, you work with Caitlin and Cisco?" He seemed nice enough. Not at all arrogant, just a bit…well, she couldn't really describe what vibe he was giving off. It just wasn't anything she'd ever experienced before. Which meant that he probably wasn't a jerk like most of the men she'd met in her line of work.

On another note: _Quick, think of a lie._

"Not really. I've been…I've been on medical leave for about ten months and I haven't yet had the time to get back to work. But, yes, I did work them, before the incident." Laura regretted her choice of words almost immediately, and avoided meeting Barry's gaze as her voice trailed off into silence. Luckily, it was soon broken by him.

"That's too bad. Hey, I'm really sorry, but I've got to ask Caitlin something. It was nice meeting you, though." Barry smiled at her, and Laura smiled back before he took off after Caitlin, who had left the room. Cisco, who was sitting at his desk with his feet up on the table, looked up as Laura approached him, his grin shifting into an expression of concern.

"Everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, everything's fine."

"Okay, cool."

"Cisco, what did you mean Barry and I have _so much_ in common?"

"Oh, that. Barry has super speed."

"WHAT?"

 **Woohoo! Chapter 4! Hope you guys enjoy this one!**


	5. Chapter 5: Lightning and Ice

"WHAT?"

Laura's voice echoed throughout the control room without any difficulty, and she was momentarily distracted from the incredibly important information Cisco had just presented her with as Caitlin and Barry rushed back into the room. "Cisco, what did you do?"

"Well, well, I just might have toldherBarry'ssecret." His voice reached an impressively high pitch he finished the end of his sentence, and Laura felt herself start as the confused expression on Caitlin's morphed into one of furious indignation.

"Cisco! We _talked_ about this! We were going to tell her when Barry was _ready_! He's not ready!" Caitlin looked absolutely furious as she stalked over to Laura and Cisco, and Laura was almost tempted to take a few steps to protect herself from Caitlin's infamous wrath. Barry, however, remained silent at the doorway, his eyes comically wide and glancing back and forth between her and Cisco too quickly.

"I know, I know, but she asked and it just came out. But, hey, now that she knows, she can tell Barry her secret now, right?"

It didn't really work.

As Caitlin and Cisco continued to argue loud enough to bring the entire building down, Laura quietly slipped away from the two of them to join Barry, who looked like he was going to bolt at any moment. For a while, without looking at or speaking a word to each other, they watched Caitlin and Cisco argue so badly that eventually they unanimously decided to shuffle backwards out of the room. As the arguing died down the farther they got away, Laura turned to Barry, fighting for the right words to say in a situation that she had never expected to be in.

"So – Cisco told me that you have super speed."

Barry stopped so suddenly that he very nearly face-planted on the floor. It was lucky that he didn't, judging by how hard the concrete felt underneath her borrowed sneakers, and she turned back to check on him.

"Super-super speed? That's ridiculous, completely ridiculous, why, why would he say that?" Barry was suddenly talking faster than Laura could comprehend, and as he continued to ramble on and on to himself, Laura stepped a bit closer towards him. She avoided reaching out to him because at that second, he looked as if he were going to go into a full-blown panic attack.

"Hey, Barry, relax. I'm a metahuman too. I think."

"Wait - really?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure what I'd call myself, I just found out this morning that I'm not so normal either. Really not normal, actually. But, hey, I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Slowly, Barry looked up, and she could see the gears in his head starting to turn, slowly but surely. Laura couldn't stop a grin from working its way on to her face as she watched. Maybe being a 'metahuman' wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?"

"Positive."

Laura was practically brimming with nervous energy as she and Barry entered the abandoned warehouse that S.T.A.R. Labs had used to store some of their outdated or incoming equipment in, only a few miles away from the official building. Now, it was empty, with nothing a few wooden pallets scattered around to keep the mice company. The electricity had apparently been cut off, but there was enough light shining in through the windows that both Laura and Barry could see where they were going. Barry looked a bit nervous, possibly about showing a complete stranger whatever the accelerator had done to him, but Laura could not care less. The thought of the adrenaline rush from earlier that day made it all the more exciting.

"Okay, you first." Barry nodded and stepped back a bit. Laura watched as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet for a few seconds, building up into a light jog, and she was just about to ask him what was wrong when he suddenly disappeared in a flash of yellow lightning. The resulting wind nearly blew her off her feet, sending her hair flying in multiple different directions, and almost a second later, he returned, his face lit up with what could only be described pure, unadulterated joy. For a moment, she was speechless; she was also pretty sure that her brain had stopped functioning. Cisco wasn't wrong when he said Barry had super speed.

"...holy crap."

"Now, come on, I want to see you. I mean I want to see your abilities."

Laura had to stop for a moment to think. "What else would you mean?"

"Nothing – just go ahead."

Laura smirked at the embarrassed tone in his voice, and faced the wall farthest from her as she focused on the cool air that filled the warehouse. Suddenly, the temperature around her started to drop, and Laura caught her breath turning into mist over the bridge of her nose. With as much energy as she could muster, she directed her hand towards the far wall of the warehouse. The beam of frigid energy that burst from her hand was much more powerful than the one at the ice rink, and Barry stumbled back with a yelp as it flew past him. Laura reigned it in as a wave of dizziness overtook her, but the blast continued until it hit its target, covering most of the wall in a thick layer of clear ice.

"Whoa." Barry breathed, sounding more than a little bit awed, but as Laura started to sway on her feet, he zoomed over to her and held her upright. Her vision flickered in and out a few times, but after several moments, the feeling passed and she was able to stand on her own again.

"I guess I'm still a little new at this."

"Tell me about it. I passed out my second day out of my coma and fell off of Cisco's treadmill. Packing peanuts _everywhere_." Laura couldn't stop herself from chuckling at the thought, and Barry laughed breathlessly, probably still a little bit giddy himself.

"So…do you think they've stopped fighting yet?"

"They'd better be, or I'm going to lock them in a room and make them work it out."

* * *

"So, the radiation from the explosion irradiated the clouds above the lab the night of the incident, creating a thunderstorm which created a lightning bolt that struck you at the same time you were doused in chemicals, which somehow accelerated all of your bodily functions and now allows you to run over three hundred miles per hour?"

"Yup. Your turn."

"Well, I was working on discovering a new type of microorganism when the explosion went off, and the DNA of that organism is now actually fused with my own DNA, making me a weird genetic hybrid that can freeze things from afar and apparently maintain a sub-zero internal temperature without my blood freezing in my veins."

"…okay, you win."

Laura smirked to herself as she and Barry lounged in the office chairs they'd temporarily borrowed from Cisco and Caitlin's desks. They'd returned to the lab almost an hour ago, and somehow, Cisco and Caitlin had still managed to keep their fight going for what was now bordering on a world record. It was starting to get a bit annoying, but then Barry had produced Cisco's special stash of Twizzlers and they were now watching the fight, which had moved into one of the side rooms, eating the candy as if the second-largest fight her colleagues had ever had were a movie.

"Hey, Laura?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we should break them up? I have a family dinner in like, thirty minutes."

"…aw, and miss the big finale?"

She heard Barry chuckle behind her as she stood up, and she briefly considered freezing him to the chair as she walked over to the room. Caitlin and Cisco were so deep in their argument that they didn't notice Laura opening the door.

"Guys-guys! It's been almost an hour. I told Barry, Barry told me. So, please, can we wrap this up already?" She didn't mean to sound so sharp, but it did the trick. Caitlin and Cisco froze, cheeks flushed in embarrassment and shock; a minute passed before they took turns mumbling apologies to each other, and she gestured for them to exit the room, which they did begrudgingly. As they did so, Barry stood up and brushed any stray crumbs of candy off his lap.

"Well, I've got to get going. It was great getting to know you, Laura."

"You too, Barry." was all Laura managed to get out before he disappeared in a streak of yellow lightning, and her words were lost in the blast of wind that followed. When the wind finally died down, Laura turned to Caitlin and Cisco, who seemed a bit less on edge than they did before, which was completely fine by her

"So. Metahumans, huh?"

* * *

Several hours later, Laura wandered into her apartment. Just like Dr. Wells had promised, nothing appeared to be out of place, although Laura's memory was a bit fuzzy considering the circumstances. The only thing that was new, as far as she could tell, was a fresh bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter and a stack of mail that towered by the door; apparently, Caitlin and Cisco had visited the place weekly while she was unconscious. With a sigh, she dragged herself towards the bedroom, also unchanged, and groggily changed for bed, relishing in the familiar feeling of her favourite pyjamas settling around her. Using her new powers all day had surprisingly drained her to the point of becoming comatose again, and she made a mental reminder that using them took an enormous physical toll on her.

As she settled into bed, Laura's mind drifted to how much her life had changed in the course of a day. Before the explosion, she had been making breakthroughs in the world of microbiology that might have won her a Nobel Prize, if she was being idealistic. Now, she was living a life that was straight out of the pages of a good - or terrible - science fiction novel, and looking at herself, she was taking it rather calmly. Then again, she'd never really been the type of person to have a breakdown. At least, not for a while.

But as she drifted off into sleep, the only thought on Laura's mind was that, overall, despite all the craziness she had encountered in the last 24 hours, it had been a pretty good day.

 **Love you guys! Reviews are welcome!**


	6. Chapter 6: Welcome to the Team

"Okay, so last night I was working on a fabric that wouldn't freeze when you used your powers, and I came up with this."

"You called me here for a jacket? Cisco, do - do you have _any_ idea what time it is?"

Laura was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, or even being civil. At six in the morning, her phone, one of her many possessions which had been replaced since the incident, had rung rather loudly, and the only thing she'd been able to make out of Cisco's caffeine induced babble was that he wanted her at the lab, as soon as possible. Now, just as the sun was starting to rise over Central City, he wheeled out a mannequin wearing a black leather outfit into the main room, and she was starting to wonder just how much caffeine he'd had, as well as the effects of caffeine on sanity. The answer probably wasn't safe for non-Cisco-Ramon humans. Or him.

"Not just any jacket, Laura. It's a special blend of carbon fiber and polymer that should be able to withstand anything from 15 degrees to 24 degrees Fahrenheit. Oh, and it comes with matching pants."

Despite the fog of sleep that still crowded her mind, Laura found it impossible not to get mad at Cisco's unbridled enthusiasm for his project, and held out her arms as he removed the set from the mannequin and handed them over to her. Both the jacket and the pants were a sleek black, and neither were very heavy, but they weren't insubstantial. There was also a pair of black combat boots made of the same stuff Cisco had mentioned, and Laura fought down the urge to ask him how he knew her foot size.

"Oh, I also calculated that the intensity of the light from your ice blasts would eventually cause blindness within three to four years, so I made you these." Cisco held up a pair of goggles with a black rim and a pair of piercing blue lenses. "The filters will keep your eyes safe and protected so you won't get glaucoma in, like, five weeks."

"...wow, Cisco. I can't believe you did all of this."

"Are you going to try it on?"

"Oh, definitely. As soon as _you_ sit down and get some _sleep_."

"m' fine, really." He answered with a yawn, losing all coherency in a matter of seconds, and Laura smiled knowingly as she guided him towards his desk.

"Alright, Cisco. Just sit tight." Laura patted him on the shoulder as she sat her friend down in his desk chair, propping up a pillow from one of the hospital beds behind his head, and ducked into an alcove to change. The jacket and pants fit comfortably and weren't too big, and the boots were so comfortable she was legitimately considering wearing them with everything. The goggles were a bit tight, but as she soon found out, the strap was adjustable – as were the filters. All in all, Cisco had done a fantastic job. When she changed back into her regular clothes and re-entered the lab, Cisco was snoring loud enough to scare off an entire herd of bears. She carefully folded up the jacket and pants while he slept and put them in her handbag, but decided to keep the boots on. Normally, she would have never worn cargo boots, much less so much black. But they had already grown on her, and she was never one to let such fine engineering go to waste.

"Sleep tight, Cisco." She whispered to him and smiled as his snores grew louder, and she left the room with a spring in her step.

* * *

Later that morning, Laura was sitting in Jitters, a coffee shop that she recognized only from the multiple coffee cups decorating Cisco's desk and workspace. The place was a bit too modern for her taste, with its white concrete walls and square everything, but the people at the cash were rather friendly, especially the waitress, Iris, who brought her the muffin and coffee she'd ordered. The copy of Central City Picture News she'd picked up on her way was propped up in her lap when Iris came by, and Laura was so focused on one article that she barely noticed her approach.

"Must be a pretty interesting article. More Coffee"

 _Mysterious Graffiti May Be Linked to New Gang_ \- she had to admit that the article was indeed riveting, although the fact that Central City's gang activity could be spiking soon was more than a bit unnerving.

"Yeah, thanks. Just trying to catch up on current events; I've...I've been out of town for a while now."

"Well, I'll leave you to it then."

As Iris left, Laura's attention was drawn towards a small article in the back of the newspaper. According to the author, a red streak had been seen saving the civilians of Central City, going so far as to pull people from burning buildings and incapacitate robbers on behalf of the police. There wasn't much to go by in ways of description, but a certain brunette speedster she had recently met came to mind. So, it seemed that Barry was using his powers to fight crime. That was admirable, if she allowed herself to think about it in a positive light. Reckless and potentially life-threatening. But admirable, nonetheless.

When she was finally done with the paper, Laura quickly finished what was left of her muffin, and folded up the newspaper, which she placed in her bag alongside her jacket and pants. However, once she was outside of Jitters, Laura was at a complete loss of what to do. Since S.T.A.R. Labs had been officially closed down, she was officially out of a job and out of anything to keep her occupied, or self-sufficient. As she mentally ran through a list of possible remedies to her situation, she walked for a while, turning down random streets and mulling over her options, and just as she decided it was time to return home, Laura's phone started to ring.

"Hello?"

 ** _"_** ** _Laura?"_**

"Cisco?"

 ** _"_** ** _Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"_**

"Of course, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

 ** _"Our police scanners just picked up a robbery_** ** _and hostage situation near you. We were worried you'd been hurt."_**

"Oh. Wait, how do you know where I am?

 ** _"...I haven't been tracking you, if that's what you were about to ask._** ** _"_**

Well, didn't his voice go suspiciously high.

"Can't the mysterious red streak handle it?"

 ** _"Oh, you've heard. Yeah,_** ** _he's dealing with some drag racers down by the lake. Do you think you can take care of this guy?"_**

"What, stop the robbery? Cisco, I can't even do a proper roundhouse kick. What do you expect me to do?"

 ** _"Relax,_** ** _t's just one guy. If you don't go full freeze, it should be enough to stop him."_**

"…fine. Just give me a minute to change. But we _are_ going to talk when I get back."

Barely two minutes later, Laura was sprinting through the back alleys of downtown Central City, straight towards the bank whose address Cisco had provided her with. Her bag was safely stashed away, but as the police sirens grew louder and louder, she started to sprint faster, a little voice in the back of her head reminding that there was little time to spare in situations such as these. When she finally reached the main street, Laura could just barely see beyond the wall of police cruisers the criminal in question walking out of the bank, a gun pressed to the temple of a woman, who was shaking and most likely in shock.

She heard one of the officers yell over a loudspeaker for the robber to let his hostage go, and the robber turned towards the source of the voice, momentarily distracted. Her hands were shaking, but she stilled them and took her chance.

Laura slipped through the blockade of officers, most of them focused on the problem at hand, their guns all pointed directly at the robber and his hostage. Nobody noticed her until she was almost a quarter of the way to the gunman, when one by one, the officers began to call out to her. The robber spun around, the red of his eyes indicating that he was probably high on something, and Laura's hands flew up, ideally, to protect herself as he pulled the trigger. The gun went off with a shattering bang, and Laura flinched, waiting for the inevitable impact, but she felt nothing at all. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and barely managed to rein in her gasp when she saw what had happened.

A wall of ice, about as tall as herself and just as wide, had apparently risen up out of the ground in front of her. She could quite clearly see the bullet, frozen in the ice like a fly fossilized in amber, and Laura would have given it more thought if she'd had the time. The robber was still silent, his drug-addled brain distracted by the sudden appearance of what must have seemed like a hallucination, and she quickly sidestepped the wall just as he was starting to come back to reality. As he turned towards her, Laura aimed her hand downward, bracing herself as she felt the cold begin to burst forth from her palm.

"Ah, ah, shit!" He screamed as the blast hit his feet and formed a thick layer of ice over them, the pain overriding what little rational thought he had left, and as he howled in pain, the woman broke free and was quickly scooped up by the officers. Laura could only watch, the scream drowning out all other thoughts, as the officers swarmed him, handcuffing him even though he was doubled over in pain and frozen to the concrete, the dictionary definition of useless. Nobody seemed to even notice her as the crowd thickened, and she supposed it was just as well. Just as she was starting to get caught up in the commotion, her hands shaking almost violently, Laura suddenly found herself moving so fast she couldn't even think straight, before she was standing in the middle of S.T.A.R. Labs.

The man who stood before her was dressed in a suit made entirely out of red, a bolt of gold lightning emblazoned on his chest, and a cowl that hid his face but not his eyes nor his lower jaw, which made it fairly easy to recognize him immediately.

"Barry?"

"Are you okay?" He asked her insistently, as Cisco and Caitlin appeared, apparently out of thin air, and led her towards a bed set up at the far end of the room.

"Yeah, just a little nauseous, but I'll be fine. Cisco, any chance we could have a talk? In _private_?" He froze on the spot, suddenly looked like a deer caught in headlights, but he let her lead him towards the hallway at any rate.

"Okay, you've been tracking me. Why?" Laura didn't want to sound angry towards really anybody at the moment, especially towards Cisco, but the adrenaline in her system was pretty high and her voice came out sharper than she would have liked.

"I-it was just in case something happened to you, so I would know where you were. I mean, it helped, didn't it? God, I'm so sorry." He suddenly very sounded tired and very ashamed of himself, and as she looked at him, Laura felt her anger quickly leave her. Cisco had been looking out for her - he had spent ten months watching over her, probably wondering whether she was going to wake up or spend the rest of her life as a vegetable. He hadn't meant any harm, he never did. That's what made him Cisco. He probably hadn't even had a decent amount of sleep this week. Now, she was the one who felt ashamed, and rightly so.

"Come here." Cisco looked confused for a moment, until Laura opened her arms wide, and he stepped forward until his head was resting on her shoulder. When they finally pulled apart, he looked a lot more like himself again. "Cisco, you don't have to apologize, not about this. Just...just tell me the next time, okay?"

Cisco nodded and cracked a smile at her – Laura was infinitely glad to see the familiar Cisco spark in his eyes returned – and she followed him back to the main room, where Barry and Caitlin were waiting in silence.

"So, you saved a life today. How does it feel?" Barry asked her as she approached him, and Laura took a moment to think. Everything was still so hectic inside of her head, it was hard to tell whether it had all been a dream or whether she had actually frozen a man's feet to the ground.

"Good, I guess. I never thought I'd see the day where I had to take down a robber, but apparently that day has come."

"Yeah, I mean, I used to catch criminals with the police, but that was just from my lab. You did really good out there today, Laura."

"Indeed; excellent work out there today, Dr. Sanders." All four of them turned to face Dr. Wells as he entered the room, and Laura was pleasantly surprised by the small smile on his face, despite the wary look in his eyes. "I must admit, for your first time in the field, you did exceptionally. Perhaps you would consider joining our little team?"

"Team?"

Cisco butted in before anyone else could explain. "A lot of people have been affected by the particle accelerator, and the police aren't able to deal with them. And even with the streak around, the city still needs help. Barry's been going out in the suit for a few months now. You could join us; work with us. If you want to, I mean."

The room went silent. Laura couldn't find any words to express the turmoil of emotions she was experiencing. Barely ten minutes ago, she had taken down a criminal and saved a person's life. The image of the robber howling in pain was still burned fresh in her mind. She knew that she should probably respond, but she wasn't entirely that what would come out make sense. So, she remained silent. After a while, Dr. Wells spoke for her.

"Caitlin, Cisco, Barry; could we have a moment alone?"

"Of course, Dr. Wells."

Laura let Dr. Wells lead her out of the room, as Barry, Caitlin and Cisco started to talk about the robbery. He was silent as he continued throughout the hallways of his formerly prosperous research center, and Laura had the vague sense that she was trespassing into a sensitive area. When they finally exited the maze of doorways and halls, Laura recognized where they were. The walkway she and Dr. Wells were travelling along had once overlooked the viewing section of the particle accelerator, the one place in the entire building deemed safe enough to show to the public. Now, below them, Laura could only see twisted, charred metal that looked nothing like what it had once been, only a grotesque mockery of the lives it had taken.

"Laura, I have done many, many questionable things in my life. Seventeen people died the night of the particle accelerator explosion, all because I was too blind to see that it wasn't ready. I thought I would spend the rest of my days in a wheelchair, condemned by the world to suffer for everything I did. But then Mr. Allen woke up. And I realized that the explosion didn't just destroy lives, that it made something good. It made him. And it made you, Laura. I know that this must sound so strange to you, but I believe that there is a reason you survived the explosion. I believe that you can do so much good for this world, Laura, and if you don't want to, none of us will push you. But I don't think someone like you would ever pass up the chance to save lives. And you know it too."

Laura mulled over his words as they stood there in silence, and after a long time, she knew exactly what she needed to say.

"A lot of things have changed. Just yesterday I learned that my DNA has been spliced with an extinct species of bacteria. I can freeze things just by touching them, and literally blast cold from my hands. My life won't ever be normal again, not by a long shot, and my life's work is now a part of me. But, my life isn't over just yet; I can still do something. Honestly, it's not my first option, but I wouldn't be able to live knowing that I could have done something, that I could have saved someone's life, if I just stood by and watched."

"Is that your answer?"

"I think so."

"Very well. I suppose I should tell Cisco that you're going to need a nickname."

"Nickname?"

"It's his newest hobby."

* * *

"Icicle."

"No."

"Absolute Zero."

"Catchy, but it's a bit long."

"That's why I said Icicle!"

"And I already said no. Moving on."

Laura could not be more frustrated. She and Cisco were sitting across from each other at a table in Jitters, a pile of crumpled papers growing between them as Cisco scrapped sheet after sheet from a small notepad he'd brought along with him. The number of names for a hero with ice powers was getting a bit ridiculous, and some of them were already taken, most of them by crazies in other cities that had shown up during her coma. Still, each and every one of the names Cisco had proposed so far irked Laura somehow.

"Alright…how about Killer Frost?"

"Really? _Killer_ Frost? That's the name I'm going to use when I save people? They'll run away screaming, Cisco."

"This is harder than I thought. I mean, Captain Cold, the Mist, those were easy – they just came to me. But you, there are so many different things to think about. And you actually have input in this."

Laura just chuckled as Cisco gathered up the balls of paper and made his way over the garbage to throw them out, just as Barry slipped inside, five minutes late. It was a bit of any oxymoron that the fastest man alive could be late for anything, but it did provide many great opportunities to joke about it at his expense. She waved him over, and he sat down just as Cisco returned, already completely immersed in his brainstorming.

"So, I guess the name game's stumping Cisco, huh?"

"Yeah. Apparently, people with ice powers are a lot harder to name than a guy who can turn himself into mist. At least it's fun to watch."

Barry and Laura chuckled softly, watching Cisco with amused smiles as he sat down, muttering to himself in Spanish, and looked up as their waitress came over. Laura recognized her – Iris – from that morning, but she was mildly surprised to see that Iris was focused intently on Barry, as was he.

"Hey, Barry. You going to introduce me to your new friend?"

"Oh right. Iris, this is Laura Sanders. Laura, this is Iris West."

"We've met." Barry suddenly looked less happy to see Iris and a bit more confused, looking between the two women, and Laura butted in before he stopped talking for too long. "I met Iris this morning. I thought I'd try Jitters out, since Cisco seems to like it so much."

"Right. That makes sense."

"So, wait, Laura, how do you know Barry?" They both froze for a split second, possible explanations that were the farthest thing from the truth running through both of their minds. In the end, it was Laura who spoke first.

"I actually used to work at S.T.A.R. Labs with Cisco and Caitlin. But…um…when the incident happened, I had to take some time off. I just got back a few days ago."

"Ten months off work? How did you survive?"

"It - it honestly defies explanation."

"Okay, well, it was nice to see you again, Laura. Bye, Barry."

As Iris left to go serve some other late-night customers, Laura turned to Barry, only to see him watching the other woman intently. There was a lost, longing look in his eyes, something akin to desperation and deprivation, and Laura was itching to figure out what was bothering him, so she decided to take the direct approach.

"So, what's the deal with you and Iris? How do you guys know each other?" Barry's head whipped around so fast Laura almost got whiplash herself, and she suppressed a chuckle at the wide-eyed expression that was starting to become familiar.

"Um, well, Iris is my adoptive sister. Her dad, Joe, was the one who adopted me after my...after my mom died." As he faltered, Barry's eyes dropped to the table, and the smile that had been working its way up on to her face suddenly faded, and Laura couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed that she had been laughing at him. She knew the ache of losing a mother, of losing a parent in general, and she wished that she had the nerve to comfort him, but her memories of the night she'd lost own mother were starting to grow in strength.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. Cisco, you come up with a name for Laura yet?" Laura was surprised by how well Barry threw off the sadness she had just witnessed, even though he stumbled a bit over his words as he tried to return to their previous conversation, and she wondered briefly as they both turned to Cisco how many times he'd had to put himself through something like that. It saddened her, and even though she wouldn't be able to say it out loud, Laura empathized with Barry; far too many times had she had to do the same thing to avoid breaking down.

"What? No, no, not yet. Actually, there is one name we haven't tried yet. It's a bit out there, but I think it could work."

"Okay. Hit me."

"… _Frostbite_."

Frostbite. Laura couldn't even begin to voice how much it she liked it. Something about it just seemed right – it rolled of the tongue, and it didn't make her sound like a complete psycho with a fetish for ice cubes.

"Frostbite and the Flash. I like your style, Cisco. I'll take it."

"Well, I guess it's settled then. Welcome to the team, Frostbite."

 **Please review! I love you all!**


	7. Chapter 7: Out of the Fire

Laura awoke from a peaceful, dreamless sleep to someone knocking rapidly on her door. She groaned as the sleep that she had been enjoying very thoroughly quickly slipped away, and as the knocking continued, she forced herself out of bed and into the hallway. As the sun rose, her apartment started to fill with light, once more feeling like the home it had become, and she shuffled towards the door, the noise starting give her a headache. When she finally managed to open the door, Laura found herself momentarily speechless to find Barry standing there, looking far too alert considering the sun was just starting to rise. She wondered whether it was because of his speed or whether he was just naturally hyperactive.

Probably the speed.

"Barry, I haven't even looked at my watch yet and I already know it's too early for house calls, so please, make it quick."

"Sorry, I didn't realize, but I was thinking about the fact that you no longer have a job, and I was wondering if you would consider something police related."

For a few moments, Laura was pretty sure her brain had stopped working. "Di - did you get me a job?"

"Close; I got you a job interview. Joe was talking about how the precinct was short of CSIs for the day shift, and I thought it might be something you'd be good at."

"But if I'm, you know, being a metahuman and all, won't they notice I'm gone all the time?"

"Not really. Joe knows about my powers, so we could always work something out. I guess I could also bring you with me, if you don't get nauseous easily."

Laura wasn't really sure how Barry had managed to get into her apartment, only that she had now backed up several paces and that he had followed her in, and that she was wearing pajamas while he was wearing an outfit that looked like something _someone with a job_ would wear.

"Coffee?"

"Sure." He grinned, a bit oblivious about the absurdity of the whole situation, and sat himself down at the counter as she turned on the brewer and the kitchen light. "Nice place."

"Yeah, well, I had to work my way through university, and that meant sharing a thin-walled two-bedroom apartment with a classmate who had a _very_ active sex life. So, I promised myself that when I had enough money, I would get my own apartment. And when I started working at S.T.A.R. Labs, I never had to share an apartment again." Barry chuckled into his hand as the brewer's green light came on and she poured them both two steaming mugs. The silence that filled the space as they drank their coffee was comfortable and not at all awkward, if Laura was being optimistic, but when she finally put down the coffee, she felt a lot better about facing the day.

"So, what time is this interview?"

"Um…oh, _crap,_ in like, fifteen minutes."

"What? Why didn't you say something?" Laura nearly choked on her coffee in her shock "Jesus, Allen!"

"It's okay - just change quickly and I'll run you there."

Ten minutes later, Laura and Barry came to a stop outside of the Central City Police Department. Luckily, she was exceptionally skilled at making herself look good with little time to spare, and the dress suit she was wearing was only slightly wrinkled from the sudden burst in speed, though it did take a few moments to stop Barry's shoes from smoking. Once that was under control, Barry led her inside, and as they walked towards the stairs that led up to the bullpen, Laura caught sight of the large golden mural that loomed over the lobby, and for a moment, she felt as if she were twelve years old again.

 _"Is my dad in trouble?"_

"Coming?" Laura was shaken out of memory lane as Barry called to her from the top of the stairs, and she did her best to rush in her short yet somehow increasingly uncomfortable high heels. As they approached Joe's office through the empty bull pen, Laura realized that she was shaking minutely, and cursed herself silently.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, just some pre-interview jitters. Should we catch up afterwards?"

"Sure, just text me when you're done."

"Wait, I don't," Laura was abruptly cut off as Barry disappeared in a flash of red and yellow, "have your number."

He was lucky that it was early. She didn't really have the energy to go after him. With an exasperated sigh, she turned back towards the door and knocked soundly on it. After a few moments of listening to Detective Joe West, according to his nameplate, shuffle around papers in his office, the door opened.

"Dr. Sanders, Detective West; Barry tells me that you're interested in a forensic position with the police. Please, come in."

* * *

"Thank you, Detective West. I really appreciate you taking the time to see me."

"No problem. Our CSI division is really lacking, and we could always use an extra pair of hands on deck. You'll receive a phone call in a week or two."

"Of course; thank you again, Detective."

"My pleasure."

As soon as Joe closed the door behind him, Laura very nearly collapsed to the floor; she settled instead for leaning against the nearest wall and closing her eyes. Never had she been so vigorously questioned about her personal life - she was just grateful that he hadn't asked about her childhood or her family, or there would have been a lot more difficult questions to answer. With a deep breath, she steadied herself and made her way through the bull pen, which was now starting to fill up with officers who ignored her as she passed them. She remembered Barry telling her to meet him at his lab, but she wasn't quite sure where that was. Or how to get there.

Pretty much the same problem, she told herself.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but do you think you could help me?" She asked an officer who was sitting at his desk. He looked up, and Laura could immediately tell that he needed much more than coffee.

"With what?" Okay, so, he was a bit rude. She couldn't blame him.

"I'm looking for Barry Allen."

"Ah, Allen. Down the stairs, take the elevators at the front desk. His lab's on the top floor." He grunted.

"Thank you."

A few minutes later, Laura stepped out of said elevator into a relatively large red brick room with a sun roof. The entire floor was a maze of tables stacked with towers of papers and boxes as high as her head. It was ultimately very chaotic, but as she made her way through the labyrinth, she was surprised to see a modicum of organization in the mess. It just made it clear that the Central City Police Department wasn't putting as much focus on their forensic department as they should be, especially if Barry was one of the only CSIs on the day shift.

"Barry?"

"Back here!"

As she rounded the corner of a table, Laura caught sight of Barry holding up a test tube. The goggles that he had strapped on looked ridiculous, and she bit back a smirk as she approached him. "What're you working on?"

"Just trying to isolate a compound from a cocktail this one guy was given the night of his death; it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Oh, wait, how did the interview go?"

"Great, but I felt like we were playing 20 Questions. I've never had to think so hard about what day my birthday is." Laura leant against one of the brick columns in the lab as Barry added a few chemicals before he put the tube into a centrifuge and pressed the button. As he took the goggles off and peeled off his gloves, Laura caught sight of what looked like a police board in the back of the lab, complete with newspaper clippings. As she approached it, however, Laura's eyes caught sight of the headlines of said clippings. They were all of the same thing, set in the same year.

Nora Allen's murder by her husband Henry.

"Barry, your mother...what happened?"

He didn't respond, and Laura turned around after a few long moments to see him staring at the board from his workspace, staring right through her. There was an air around him, as if he'd carried around a burden for so long that simply talking about it made it that much heavier. With a dull ache just barely registering in her chest, she sat down on the chair next to him. "You don't have to say."

When Barry finally spoke, his voice was hoarse.

"I was eleven."

"The...the clippings say your dad did it."

"That's not true, Laura. He didn't. I - I saw who killed him that night."

"What?"

"The man in yellow. Another speedster; someone like me."

"Jesus."

"Tell me about it. When I got my powers, I realized that I wasn't crazy. That the man who killed my other and put father in prison is real." And still out there, went unsaid, as Barry trailed, and Laura reached out to put her hand over his, brining them closer together despite their knees being in the way.

"She must have been a wonderful woman." She whispered.

"She was."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He finally spoke after a few moments of silence, and Laura smiled at him as he stood up, wiping none too subtly at his eyes with the back of his hands. "Thanks for listening. Not everyone stays around long enough to hear the whole story."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

* * *

A few hours later, Laura and Barry walked into S.T.A.R. Labs side-by-side.

"We were wondering when you'd get here." Caitlin muttered without even trying to hide the annoyance in her voice. Before either of them could try to defend themselves, Cisco interrupted the impending argument.

"Hey, Laura? Do you think we could talk for a moment?"

"Sure." Laura shrugged and left Barry's side as Cisco leapt up from his desk and dashed away into some unseen nook, popping his head out the door of one of the side rooms and gesturing for her to join him. Knowing Cisco, it was probably mostly harmless, but she approached slowly just to be sure. The last time they'd done this before the explosion most of the crew had talked like the cookie monster for hours. However, what she saw was completely different than what she had expected.

"What do you think?" Cisco asked eagerly as he swirled around the reclined medical table, revealing a mannequin that held what seemed to be her newest outfit. "I remembered that you liked blue a lot, and plain black does sort of scream 'villain', so I did some tweaking and voila!"

Before Laura stood a completely new and improved suit that made her heart race a bit faster the longer she stared. The jacket was the same, but now the sleeves were lined with a vivid shade of cobalt blue, resembling something a wealthy motorcyclist might wear. The pants had been swapped out, however, for a black tactical version, not too loose or too tight; in a word, perfect for combat. There was also a hood on the jacket that was made out of the same fabric with the same shade of blue as the sleeves. The goggles also looked a bit sturdier, the lenses just a tad darker, almost matching the blue on the rest of the outfit. There was also a pair of black, fingerless leather gloves that somehow completed the outfit. The boots were still the same, though, for which Laura was extremely grateful.

"Cisco…you're amazing."

"I thought Frostbite could use a little more colour. No biggie. The jacket and pants have been reinforced with a layer of Kevlar and tri-polymer, so you won't have to patch it up too often. Heating coils in the fabric will probably keep it from freezing but I'll keep working on that. So? What do you think?" Laura just grinned at him and wrapped her arms around Cisco, hugging him for a bit longer than necessary before she pulled away, breathless and all too ready to try it all on. However, just as she was about to thank Cisco again, the room was filled a loud beeping. Cisco suddenly rushed out of the room and nearly tripped over his feet trying to get to the computer consoles. From what she could see, it looked like they were patching through information from police scanners.

"We've got a fire at an apartment building at Fifth and Keele."

A second later, Barry, already in his red suit, appeared before Laura.

"What do you say we take Frostbite out for a test run?"

Not even five minutes later, Laura and Barry arrived at said fire, the world coming back into focus almost too quick for her taste. The apartment complex before them was raging with fire, and while they could hear sirens approaching in the distance, Laura could already tell they were too far away. A crowd of people, all covered in soot and shivering, were standing on the other side of the street, watching the fire with horrified expressions on their faces.

"It's the Flash!" Someone yelled over the roar of the flames, but Laura and Barry both ignored it, the fire at the forefront of their minds. Suddenly, the earpieces in Barry's suit and the one in Laura's ear blared to life with Caitlin's voice.

 _ **"Alright, Barry, you need to search the building for any more people. Laura, follow my lead. You' re going to tackle the worst parts of the fire so Barry reach any stragglers. Okay?"**_

"On it." They uttered together and Barry was gone in a second, Laura rushing into the building after him. The building was roasting inside, fire causing parts of the ceiling and the walls to fail and come crashing down, but she charged on, spreading as much cold as she could. The flames froze like grotesque statues, the heat around it dissipating almost immediately, but the parts of the fire that she wasn't able to reach melted them all too quickly, and Laura continued following Caitlin's orders even as Barry continued to remove people from the building. Most of the building had collapsed since the fire started, trapping a great deal of them inside. Pretty soon, however, they had moved on to the top floor.

 ** _"_** ** _Okay, Laura, Barry's done, but you need to get out as soon as possible."_**

"Give me a minute." Laura replied, and she was making her way towards the stairs when a sharp, pained cry broke through the roar of the inferno. Someone was still in the building, definitely on the same floor as her. The only question was where.

"Caitlin, I think someone's been left behind. Can you figure out where they are?."

 ** _"Hang on...there should be a room to your right and down the hall. Be careful, Laura. It looks like you may have missed some of the fire."_**

Laura didn't respond as she followed Caitlin's directions, and even before she turned the corner she could hear the roar of the flames. The door at the end of the hallway was practically smoking, the light flickering underneath the door evidence of the flames inside. When she reached for the doorknob, however, her hand came away scalding, and Laura decided that she would have to settle for brute force. With as much strength as she could manage, Laura reeled back and slammed her foot into the lock. It fell away far too easily, and Laura had to back up a bit as a wave of flames burst forth from the room, a sudden wave of dizziness accompanying it seconds later. The inside of the room was nearly engulfed by the fire, and it took Laura a few seconds before she saw the source of the cry.

A young woman, probably only a few years younger than her, was trapped underneath some fallen ceiling beams, lying unconscious in the middle of the room. Laura quickly froze the growing flames and knelt to check the woman's pulse, thanking some higher power for her luck as a heartbeat fluttered weakly underneath her fingers, before working to get the beams off of her. However, just as the last beam fell to the side, there was a large crack from above, and Laura watched in horror as most of the roof crashed down just a few feet from them both, blocking her way out of the room and sending hot embers flying everywhere.

"Guys, I can't get out!"

 ** _"_** ** _Okay, okay…Barry, Laura's trapped on the top floor, can you get to her?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Sure thing - I've got her."_**

Laura shielded the unconscious woman as the room started to get warmer and fill with black smoke. A distant shout from outside the apartment window caught her attention, and she dragged the woman over to it before cracking open the window. Several stories below, she could see Barry, a small speck of red on the green lawn of the complex, looking up at her.

 _ **"Laura, can you kick out the window?"**_

"I think so, why?"

 ** _"I'm going to run up the side of the building."_**

Well, okay; it wasn't ideal, but it was the best idea she'd heard so far. Besides, what did she have to lose?

Laura looked at the window, taking in the measurements quickly as smoke started to cloud her vision - it shattered easily enough as she kicked at it.

"Got it!" She yelled down at Barry after making sure the glass was clear, keeping a careful grip on the ledge as she watched him back up a few steps. The next thing she knew, he was a blur of red and gold and was standing beside her in the room. Without hesitation, she helped him get the woman up into a fireman's carry, and Laura watched as he ran back down the side of the building, rushing over to the ambulance and firetrucks waiting below. Despite feeling relief at having gotten the woman out, Laura immediately doubled over in a coughing fit as the smoke from the fire that had consumed the room started to fill her lungs. Barry still wasn't back, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

So, seeing no other way out as a wave of panic swept through her, Laura made the executive decision to jump out of the window. She simply stepped up on to the window ledge, the desperation to get away from the heat as it grew closer overriding her caution completely, and in one smooth motion, Laura flung herself out into the blissfully cool air, before she started to plummet towards the ground.

 _"No!"_ She heard someone shout, and the last thing she was aware of as the world slowed to a stop was a pair of arms wrapping around her before everything went dark.

 **I apologize for the cliffhanger, guys! Hope you like the new chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8: Training Day

"Jesus, it's cold!"

"Really? I don't feel a thing."

Laura couldn't help a smirk as Cisco sent her a dirty glare, bundled up in what, by the looks of it, must have been at least three coats and two sweaters. Ferris Air's abandoned airfield in Central City was the perfect place for Laura to practice her abilities, something that Caitlin had pestered Dr. Wells for after she'd woken up in the lab a few days ago, struggling with mild hypoxia. Waiting for her lungs to clear had kept her off her feet for the next few days before she was finally deemed well enough, but those days had been spent being lectured by Caitlin about preparedness without any opportunity for escape. Now, everyone was getting ready for Laura's so-called 'training day', aptly named by Cisco.

"Okay, so, the readings we took after the fire show that your core temperature was slightly raised, so we're going just going to see how much heat you can take before your temperature starts to change."

Laura nodded wordlessly, suddenly less focused on Caitlin's explanation as she adjusted the vitals monitor that was strapped to her chest, and just a bit more focused on the suspiciously large weapon-like devices in Cisco and Barry's arms as they exited the trailer.

"No offense, but are you sure those things are safe?"

"Positive. These babies only give off heat in microwaves. You'll be fine."

Unfortunately, the way Cisco's voice cracked on the last few words did nothing to comfort Laura one bit. Still, despite her better judgement, she shirked off her jacket, and made her way over to the circle marked in chalk on the runway. Barry and Cisco stepped up to either edge of the circle, and hefted up the devices at her, which now that she thought about it were starting to look a lot like flamethrowers.

"Whenever you're ready." Dr. Wells called out from the tent, and after a moment's hesitation, Laura nodded at Barry and Cisco, bracing herself for what was coming.

It was instantaneous. The searing sensation of heat, minus any visible flame whatsoever, was enough to make Laura wonder just how much she _would_ be able to take. Within seconds, however, she could feel that her body was adjusting, as the heat became less and less noticeable. When she was ready, she gestured at Cisco and Barry to raise the heat, and they obliged. The change was just enough to make her stagger a bit in shock, but eventually, the feeling faded away. Laura was beginning to feel a lot more confident in herself, but she resisted the urge to get ahead of herself and merely gestured for them to continue. As Barry and Cisco obliged her, Laura realized with a start that she could not hear anything beyond the roaring of the devices in her ears, nor the beating of her own heart.

 _"You'll never learn your lesson if I don't teach you."_

 _"Daddy, I didn't mean to, I swear. It was an accident!"_

 _"There's no such things as accidents, girl. Now, roll up your sleeve and hold still - time for lesson number four."_

As the memory forced its way to the front of her mind, Laura found herself overcome with excruciating pain. It felt as if every single nerve her body had to offer was being bombarded by a thousand tiny needles. She crashed to her knees, unable to stop herself from screaming wordlessly in her agony, and she knew then that she had to stop it.

With a scream rivalling the roaring in her ears, Laura forced her arms out until they were level with the weapons that Cisco and Barry had pointed at her. Vaguely, she heard Cisco yell at her to stop before the familiar cold was flowing from her hands. Through the haze, she heard both men drop the devices with cries of pain, implying that they probably hadn't let go quick enough, but it hardly mattered - she wasn't in pain anymore. The relief was glorious, and she gulped in the cold air like a man dying of thirst. On the other hand, she was fairly certain that the large, bright red patches on her arms were third-degree burns.

"Jesus, Laura! Why didn't you say something?" Cisco gasped as he knelt in front of her, unable to take his eyes off of the burns as he gingerly helped her sit up. "Caitlin, we need the first-aid kit!"

"Is-is it weird that they don't hurt?" Laura was aware that she was stammering, and as Barry and Caitlin joined her on the asphalt, Cisco prodded gently at the nearest burn, which covered almost a quarter of her forearm. Laura jumped on instinct, expecting agonizing pain that had been burned into her memory, but she was most definitely surprised when she felt nothing. Nothing at all. It was almost as if someone had painted the burns on her skin.

"Okay, that is _freaky."_ Cisco breathed and stood as Caitlin shoved her way in, grabbing on to Laura with her own hands and tenderly poking at the marks, which were already starting to fade.

"There's a definite superficial reaction to the heat, but beyond that there's no actual tissue damage."

"Remarkable." Okay, so apparently Dr. Wells had joined in on the 'poke Laura and see if she screams' fest as well. She was cool with that.

"I'm going to need samples." Caitlin sounded way too excited, and Laura groaned internally at the thought of going through yet another biopsy, but let Barry stand her up and walk her back over to one of the chairs the others had set up underneath the tent. By now, the patches were started to fade even faster, and as Caitlin used a scalpel to scrape away a bit of skin from the inside of her arm, Laura found herself struggling to not return to the memory that had started this whole thing, with little to no success. Luckily, she was distracted by Barry as he handed her a bottle of Gatorade and a power bar, which she took gratefully.

"So, what happened out there? What went wrong?" For a moment, Laura was unable to think of an excuse that wouldn't raise any red flags, and ended up settling for an old favourite.

"I - I had an accident when I was a kid. Never really got over it, I guess." Disbelief flashed over his face, and Laura knew that she was slipping in her storytelling, but she didn't say anything more. Luckily, he didn't feel the need to ask any further questions, and instead settled for standing by her side as she ate.

A couple of minutes later, Caitlin reappeared, obviously very flustered, but apparently also very excited to get to work with her new cell samples, which she had to admit was just a tad creepy. Still, it was nice to Caitlin smiling again; it was always a relief when she cracked a smile or tried to joke along with Cisco, usually ending with awkward results.

"I need to get back to the lab, right now. Laura, tell me if anything changes." Laura nodded as she sipped at her Gatorade, and watched as Caitlin sped away in her car, before turning back to Barry with a weary sigh.

"We'd better go after her, or she'll end up living at her desk for the next few days."

"Yeah. Hey, does this mean that you might be invincible now?"

"Here's hoping, Barry. Here's hoping."

* * *

"Dear God, I've never exercised so much in my life."

Whoever said that they enjoyed exercise was a damn liar, Laura seethed. Seeing as she would be joining Barry in the field, Dr. Wells had deemed it vital that she take place in physical training exercises with Barry, with consisted mostly of pain and sweating. Well, crunches, push-ups, running and weight-lifting, but mostly pain and sweating. She and Barry had spent the last few hours doing those exercises, and Laura was so past done that she just decided to lay down on the mats set up in the training room and take a nap.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad."

"Says the man who doesn't have to exercise _at all_ to stay fit. You have abs just by _existing."_ In reply, he laughed, and Laura wondered if she could freeze him from where she had collapsed. She tried to focus for a second, just to see if she could do it, but judging by the way her arms laid limp at her sides, there would be no Barry Allen Popsicle for her today.

"Alright, I think we're good for today."

"Barry, you're going to have to carry me home. My legs aren't working anymore."

Barry just shook his head in disbelief and helped Laura to her feet, chuckling as she tried to get some feeling back into her limbs while he walked her out of the room.

"We will _never_ set foot in that room again."

"Oh, good, Laura. I've finished the biopsy, and I think you're going to be very interested." Caitlin piped up from her desk as they entered the control room, where she had been working furiously since before they'd arrived.

"Okay, shoot."

"Well, there's no tissue damage from the burns, and the only explanation I was able to determine from the vitals that the monitor took was that your body was actually lowering its temperature to compensate for the heat. That's why there were no burns. It was like an immune response to heat - your body cooled down so much that it was almost entirely ineffective."

Cisco let out a low whistle, and Laura couldn't shake the feeling that she had just walked into another dimension. "With enough practice, I think that you'd probably be able to sit in an inferno and not even notice."

Laura frowned and tried to look a bit concerned, suddenly feeling a little terrified at the prospect. "Yeah, hey, Caitlin? How about we don't test that hypothesis, because another way I could be sitting in in a fire and not notice is if I were _dead."_

Caitlin barely noticed the sarcasm in Laura's voice as she continued to type, staring at the computer screen so hard Laura was starting to wonder what else she was looking at. She had to admit, now that she had the time to think about it, it was pretty amazing, to be able to not only produce cold but withstand heat. The deck was stacked in her favour, as some people would say; although that was not presently the case. With a small groan of pain, she detached herself from Barry and used a nearby table as a crutch to fling herself into an office chair, where she simply relished the feeling of not moving. At all.

However, only a minute later, Laura was forced to use her muscles when her phone started to ring from across the room. Luckily, Barry got it into her hands on the second ring, and she hit the call button clumsily. "Hello?"

 ** _"_** ** _Dr. Sanders?"_**

"Oh, Detective West," Laura shifted in her seat to sit up a little straighter, "it's good to hear from you again."

 _Please let it be the job, please let it be the job._ Laura prayed quietly to herself even as she listened to West.

 ** _"I'm glad to hear that. Listen, I talked with my superiors and they think you'd be a great addition to the precinct. Are you okay to start Friday?_** ** _"_**

"Well…actually, yes, yes, I am. Is there anything else I should know?"

 ** _"Actually yes_** ** _–_** wait a minute."

Laura was so confused when Joe suddenly went silent on the phone that she didn't realize the last words he'd spoken had come from _inside_ the room, until "Dr. Sanders?" resounded from both behind her and through her phone.

 _Crap._

Laura forced a smile on to her face and turned around to see Joe West standing in the doorway, his eyes wide enough to be as large as saucers, and she felt her stomach drop to her feet.

"Hiiiiiiiiiiiii, Detective West."

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me that the person I was interviewing for a job was a _metahuman_?"

Joe's voice was hushed, but not too quiet that Laura, Cisco and Caitlin couldn't hear what he was saying through a closed door. They were all sitting together at Cisco's desk, watching into Dr. Wells' office through the door from an angle that made it hard to see either man's face. For some reason, Cisco had popped popcorn, which she had jumped on the moment she smelt the butter, despite the utter anxiety she was currently wracked with.

"I didn't think it was important. Laura's a good person. You heard about that mystery metahuman took down the bank robber last week right?"

"Yeah, but...oh God, don't tell me. That was _her_ , wasn't it?"

Honestly, if Laura hadn't been so worried about the fact that she might not get the job, it would have been an amusing conversation to eavesdrop on. Working with the police was a career she probably would have considered had her life turned out the right way, and if she was being truthful with herself, there was a small part of her that really wanted the job. She just hoped that Joe would be open to the idea of having a metahuman on the police force.

When the doors to the office swung open, and Barry and Joe stepped out, Laura stood to meet them. "Detective West."

"Dr. Sanders. You're...you're a metahuman."

"To be fair, I only found out about this a week ago. So we're pretty much on the same page, if that helps."

Laura had a feeling it wouldn't help at all.

"Just - just hold on. Since Barry's come out of his coma, I have seen men who can control the weather and turn themselves into gas, and a woman who blows up anything she can touch. So long as you aren't t some sort of megalomaniac who knows who I am, we'll talk. Maybe."

Okay. Okay, good. She could work with that.

Several minutes later, Joe was looking at her a lot differently, with just a smidge less of apprehension and a bit more awe. Seeing as she didn't want to give him frostbite by shaking his hand, Laura had opted to display her abilities in a subtler fashion - freezing Cisco's coffee, his third cup so far that day. For a while after that, all he could do was stare at her, his mouth hanging open slightly, and when he had finally regained the power of speech, Laura was the one joining the detective in conference. This time, however, they were outside of the building near Joe's car in the parking lot, somewhere he was certain would be far enough away to prevent a certain group of scientists from eavesdropping.

"Listen, Laura, I looked over your files. Metahuman or not, you're probably the most competent person we've interviewed for the job this year. I'm not saying that I won't give you the job, but I need to know I can trust you."

"Absolutely, Detective. What do you need me to do?"

"Your foster care records. The CCPD needs them declassified before they can make the final decision."

Well, _shit_. That was going to be a big problem.

"I don't know if I can do that, Detective. There's...there's a reason I had those files sealed."

"Well, there's a reason that I need to see them. Whatever it is, I'm sure it won't affect their decision."

Laura was at a crossroads, so unlike she had been almost eight years ago, when she'd had the details of her time in foster care classified. Of the first eighteen years of her life locked away, perhaps forever. There had been no hesitation then, no second thoughts. Now, she found herself being pulled into two different directions by two opposing forces, both of which had an equal chance of succeeding. But she had to make a decision; something had to give. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Alright, I can get them for you."

"Thank you."

"Just - whatever you find, promise me you won't tell the others."

"I can't promise you anything, but if I do find anything, I'll do my best to keep it quiet."

"Thank you, Detective," she said with a sigh, feeling as if the iron grip on her airway had finally eased, "I appreciate it, I really do."

Joe nodded curtly and shook Laura's hand, pulling back a bit quicker than he might have before he'd discovered her secret, and she took a few steps away from the car as he settled himself in the driver's seat. She watched as he pulled out of the parking lot, and as he drove away, Laura had the feeling, despite a small voice in the back of her mind telling her otherwise, that everything was going to turn out alright.

 **Chapter 8, woo-hoo! Keep on reading and review when you can!**


	9. Chapter 9: First Day

"He's late, isn't he?"

"I'm so sorry, Detective. He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago, but he hasn't been answering his phone."

Laura was completely flustered trying to keep up with Joe's pace as he made his way through the crowded bullpen. He had called her a few nights ago, informing her that she would now be working with Barry on the day shift, but the day she arrived, it turned out that the speedster was running late. It was astounding that a man with the ability to break the sonic barrier could be late at all, and judging by Joe's grumbling, he felt the same way too. Apparently, Barry had a habit of showing up late to work, and the snickers from the scattering of officers throughout the room only strengthened that impression.

"I swear, if we weren't so short-staffed, he would have been fired years ago."

"Good to know, sir."

"Listen, you know where the lab is, so you can wait for Barry upstairs. If you need anything, give me a call. And when he arrives, tell him to run for his life."

"I'll get right on that."

So, the detective had a sense of humour. Which was good. Or he was being completely and utterly serious. Which was bad. Either way, at least Laura had something to do now either than wait around for Barry to show up, and she clutched at her briefcase as she made her way towards the elevator. When she had been working at S.T.A.R. Labs, it had been quiet. Everyone had their own workspace, and in many ways, it was a lot more cerebral and less rushed. But with the CCPD, Laura could already tell she was going to be working in a rather aggravating environment. The criminals wouldn't wait for her to discover their identity, and neither would the officers and detectives trying to keep them off the streets. There was no time to take a break or wait for the answer to present itself.

She had to admit, she kind of liked it.

Once she reached the lab, however, Laura was surprised to see someone else up there. Someone who was most definitely _not_ Barry.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah, actually, I'm looking for Barry?"

The man, a detective if his badge was anything to go by, was about her height. He wore a cleaned and pressed suit, which was a stark difference from Barry's occasionally rumpled sweater vests, and the blue in his eyes reminded her of the ocean on a tropical beach. The blond hair was natural - too dark to be bleached - and the grizzle on his chin told her that he hadn't had time to shave. Which was fine. She was pretty sure she hadn't even looked in a mirror since leaving the apartment that morning.

"I'm sorry, Barry's not here. But maybe I can help you?"

It was a few moments before recognition finally dawned in his eyes.

"Oh, you must be the new CSI. Laura Sanders, right?"

"Yes. And you are…?"

"Eddie Thawne. Joe West's partner. I just came up to see if Barry was done with a set of fingerprints from our latest case."

"Well, let's see what I can do." Laura gestured for Eddie to follow her towards the computers set up in the corner of the lab. Luckily, Barry was still logged into the system, so there was no password to wrack her brain for, and Laura quickly brought up the IAFIS. "What fingerprints were Barry supposed to identify?"

"A robbery from two days. It should be in the database by now. So, Sanders, what brings you to the CCPD?"

"Well, I used to work at S.T.A.R. Labs, but after the explosion I couldn't really return to my old job. Barry was the one who put in a word for me with Joe." Laura could see Eddie nod out the corner of her eye as she searched through the multiple fingerprints Barry had put in during his years as a CSI, eventually finding one marked from a few days earlier. Once Eddie confirmed it, Laura put it through the database and sat back in the chair, feeling a bit less strung out. Suddenly, the elevator dinged, and Eddie and Laura were momentarily distracted as Barry stepped out, looking out of breath and more than just a tad flustered. He took a few steps inside before he saw them both staring at him, and Laura couldn't hide the grin spreading over her face.

"Welcome to the party, Barry."

"Eddie! Laura! You've met! I'm so sorry I'm late. I slept through my alarm again."

"Yeah, tell that excuse to the Captain. _Again_. Anyway, nice to meet you, Laura. See you later, Barry." Eddie smiled at Laura as he sidled his way past Barry, shooting the slighter man a raise of his eyebrows before getting in the elevator.

"Oh, you've already worked out the IAFIS. That's a good start, but the captain wants you to go through _this_ ," Barry grunted as he removed a manual as thick as four fingers, which weighed probably as much as a bowling ball, from his satchel, "just in case. You're already cleared to go out in the field but I would honestly recommend going through it at least twice. And using highlighters."

"Barry, how do you think I got my Ph.D.?"

"Right, right. Just go through it when you have the chance. The powers that be like to know that anyone working for them is at least 100% and above competent."

"That reminds me, Detective West told me that you'll want to run for your life the next time you see him."

"Relax. He's kidding."

"Whatever you say, but he does have a gun, and I heard you heal fast."

"Shut up."

* * *

"Hey, Barry?"

"Yeah?"

"This - I think there's something wrong with this report."

The whirring of the centrifuge carried on as Barry left his workstation and made his way over to Laura, who had been poring over one of the case reports that had made it over to her pile. They'd been working on reports the entire day, the sky over the city growing dimmer in the past few hours, and Laura had already been down to the bullpen a few times to hand off the case files to Joe, but the one she was currently working on had been on her table was stumping her.

"What do you mean?"

"The burns on this guy are supposed to have been made by hydrochloric acid, the one that his wife bought a few days before, but if you look at the composition of these samples you took, it's all organic." Laura leant to the side as Barry tried to get a better look at the files, though he eventually settled for picking it up to pore over it.

"Huh, that is weird. Is there a chance it could be homemade?"

"Well, I highly doubt a CEO's wife, no matter how accomplished, could find a way to do this. The closer I look at it, however, the more it seems like it's biological."

"Did you run it?"

"Yeah. Went over it twice and then a third time; no matches. It's weird, though, because there is a high concentration level of epibatidine, found in poison dart frogs, but there's also a large amount of human DNA."

As soon as Laura finished speaking, both she and Barry knew exactly what they were dealing with. But only one thing would prove it. With speed barely comparable to Barry's but remarkable for a human, Laura grabbed the evidence box from the floor beside her and pulled out the many pictures Barry had taken at the crime scene. Her stomach churned a bit at the sight of the victim's ruined features, but she rummaged through them until she found the right one. It showed the dead man's shoulder, the veins of blood underneath his pale skin showing just the barest tint of green, but Laura's mind was already working overtime to distinguish the faint bruising pattern that the police had missed.

"You see it?"

"Yeah."

A handprint. A human handprint.

* * *

"High levels of epibatidine from the _Epipedobates anthonyi_ with baseline human DNA. Fascinating. It would appear that there is another hybrid metahuman out there, Dr. Sanders. Except this one appears to have DNA spliced with that of a certain species of poison dart frog. Anthony's poison dart frog, to be exact."

"That is awesome. What do you think should I call him?" Laura suppressed the urge to flick Cisco in the forehead before she finally turned to face Dr. Wells, his eyes glued to the screens at the consoles the entire time. As soon as they had reached the conclusion that it was a metahuman, Barry had immediately run both of them to S.T.A.R. Labs, where Cisco and Caitlin were still running tests on the samples of the poison they'd brought with them, tests which had only further confirmed their suspicions.

"Cisco, focus on the fact that he can kill a person just by touching them and that he's on the loose."

"Right. Sorry."

"How are we going to locate him? We don't even know his name."

"But we can find out. Anthony's poison arrow frogs aren't very popular in North America, but we do have several exotic pet stores in Central City, and this one offers a backdoor special on this particular species." Cisco sounded smug as he typed like crazy before the screen was alit with the owner's information.

"John Dawson. He went to the same high school as the victim, and they were in the same graduating class. A guy like that with a disturbing fetish for reptiles and a high-powered executive like in the same high school class? Sounds like a case of a bullying victim out for revenge." Cisco was right. The man on the screen was thin, almost too thin, with a scraggly mop of black hair. In high school, he definitely would have been bullied for even being in the same room as the popular kids, or even breathing, as some of the jocks at her schools had been known to do. Though whatever had happened to him must have harsh enough for him to even think about killing his former classmate.

"Maybe after he found out what he could do, he decided to use it."

"Despite his lack of criminal history, he's still a threat. But you two should refrain from going after him until we can synthesize an antidote. This poison is extremely dangerous and fast-acting, and I'm not sure even your speed will get it out in time, Mr. Allen."

"Alright, whatever you need."

Ten minutes later, they were racing through the city to John Dawson's exotic pet store in the suburbs, two pairs of antidote tucked safely away inside of Barry's jacket as she clung to him. It was dark outside, making it a tad easier to remain inconspicuous, though Barry still did set off possibly hundreds of car alarms on the way there. When Barry finally came to a stop, Laura almost had to do a double take. The store itself was barely distinguishable from the other abandoned store fronts on the block, except that its sign was still hanging on to its frame and there was a small glow that could be seen through the mottled windows. However, before Laura could do anything, Barry had already flung open the door and zoomed his way inside. There was a loud shattering a few seconds later and Laura rushed in after him, the sight before her freezing her in her tracks.

Barry was lying on the floor, choked gasps leaving him as he strained to breathe, and standing over him was John Dawson, his eyes roiling with anger and his face set with rage. One of his hands seemed to be dripping with what Laura could only assume to be the poison, which had a green tint in the darkness, that had killed his most recent victim and was now quickly taking a hold of Barry.

"You - you aren't supposed to be here."

"You killed a man, John. Nobody's going to let you walk away from that."

"He deserved what he got. I'm just the one decided to pull the trigger first. Now get out of my way, or you'll end up like your friend here." Barry's breaths were starting to get shallower, and without taking her eyes off of John, Laura could see that his body was starting to spasm violently. The poison had already started to work, and without the antidote, he was going to be in a heap of trouble.

"John, listen to me. You don't have to do this. Just let me help him." Suddenly, John's face twisted, and Laura barely had the time to cry out before he was slamming her up against the window, one of his hands gripping her jaw. Laura could smell the poison secreting from his hands, acrid and noxious, and she struggled as hard as she could, but there was nothing she could really do against him at that point. Her skin stung where he grabbed at it, and when he finally let her go, it was already starting to burn to the point of becoming numb. She collapsed to the floor, her limbs suddenly heavy with the poison flooding her body, and as John stepped over her, disappearing out of her line of sight, Laura dimly noticed through the suffocating haze of pain that Barry had stopped moving.

The antidote. She still had it. If only she could get it before Dawson came back – if he came back. Laura gritted her teeth as she tried to move her arms, barely registering the worried shouts of Cisco and Caitlin in her ears, and felt a small spark of triumph as her arms started to listen to her brain. The world was starting to grow darker with every second, and Laura wondered if she would make it in time as her hand finally closed around one of the vials. The cap fell to the ground as she fumbled with it, and Laura didn't have time to think about how big the needle was before she plunged it into the outside of her thigh.

For several long seconds, filled only by her own shallow breathing and the stinging in her leg, Laura did not feel a difference. If anything, the world was growing darker even more quickly than before, and it was getting much harder to breathe, every breath sapping away her energy. Just as her eyes slipped closed, however, Laura felt a painful stutter in her chest, almost as if her heart had been restarted, and she curled in on herself as a coughing fit wracked her body. Dawson hadn't returned yet, which meant that he'd probably run for it, but Barry was still lying where the poisonous metahuman had left him, his chest still and his eyes closed. Ignoring the urge to collapse, Laura dragged herself over to Barry, her limbs still weak but the fog clearing away a bit at a time, and pulled out the second syringe. However, just as she was about to plunge it into him, Laura stopped.

"Caitlin?"

 ** _"_** ** _Oh, Laura, thank God. Are you alright?"_**

"I'm fine, but Barry isn't breathing. Will the antidote work?"

 ** _"_** ** _How long has it been?"_**

"I can't be sure...two, maybe three minutes."

 ** _"_** ** _Okay, you should be fine. Just remember-"_**

"Leg, not the heart. Got it"

The needle plunged through Barry's suit and into the outside of his leg without any trouble, and Laura watched, her heart beating rapidly, as Barry continued to lie still on the floor of the shop. She wondered if she had been too late, and she couldn't help but wander to the worst-case scenario as she waited for him to breathe. Which happened quite suddenly, Barry convulsing wildly as he sucked in breath after breath before breaking out into a coughing fit, the pale green of his face slowly making way for bright red. Laura held up his head with one hand, making sure he didn't hit it in his thrashing, and couldn't help a weak grin when he finally met her eyes, dazed and pained, before his body went limp. For a while, the only sound filling the room was their ragged breathing, before Barry turned his head to look at her.

"That was exciting."

The absolute nerve of it all, to make a joke after nearly dying, was too much, and Laura collapsed onto the floor as she burst into a fit of laughter. Hysterical and weak, yes, but laughter nonetheless. Barry managed a weak laugh too, and flopped on to his side to begin another round of violent coughing. When he finally faced her again, he was smiling, and Laura found herself simply overwhelmed with relief that she'd made it in time.

They were alive. They'd made it.

"Hey - hey, Barry?"

"Yeah?"

"Let's never do that again."

"...okay."

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	10. Chapter 10: Secrets and Lies

A few days later, Laura and Barry were still recovering from their fight with John Dawson. What remained in their system of his venom had left them both weak, her more so than Barry, and while the rest of their team had been eager to learn of its lasting side effects, the two of them were just happy to still be alive. Of course, Caitlin had once again found an opportunity to lecture them in their defeat, which made the days of recovery at S.T.A.R. Labs just a bit more unbearable than they could have been.

Despite nearly dying, however, Laura was overall feeling pretty good about herself. Not only had she helped close a case for the CCPD while she was healing, but she was starting to get a lot better at using her powers. If she concentrated hard enough, she found that she could manipulate the cold to form solid shapes, but the only thing she had managed was a lump the size of her fist resembled a two-year old's attempt at a snowman. Still, it was nice to have something to do on besides mourning the loss of her old life - or fretting over the fact that John Dawson was still out in Central City. He hadn't shown his face since their encounter, but with powers like those and a desire for revenge that strong, something was bound to happen soon. Hopefully, they would be prepared when he did.

"Hey, Laura?"

"Yeah?"

"Cisco just texted me and asked if he should buy an ice cream machine for the lab."

"Why…no. _No_. I've told that boy a thousand times, I am not becoming his personal snow cone machine."

"To be fair, he did say ice cream, not snow cone."

"Pick a side, Barry."

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. Hey, you said you wanted noodles for lunch, right?" When she nodded, Barry sped away in a bolt of yellow lightning, sending papers flying everywhere.

If he kept this up, they'd need to start putting paperweights all over the lab.

To be honest, Laura was starting to enjoy her new life. The job with the CCPD was paying off, even though she hadn't yet been out in the field, but she was becoming attached to her little corner of the lab. Hanging around with Cisco, Caitlin and Barry had also opened her up a bit more, to her pleasant surprise; she was trading Cisco's sarcasm with a wit that occasionally left him fumbling for a retort, and talking to Caitlin about the tests they were still doing on her was starting to get her closer to her withdrawn teammate. For the first time in her life, Laura could confidently say that she was making friends, and that she was starting to like it.

On another note, Frostbite was starting to gain popularity in Central City. Iris, apparently, was quite the avid blogger about metahumans and the like, and her alter ego had made its way on the pages of her blog a few times, though not as much as the Flash did. Cisco's name for her had stuck, though most of the major news companies were just calling her 'that weird ice chick who hangs out with the Flash' and focusing more on her partner than anything else. In any case, it was nice to get some recognition, even if some of it was divided and _clearly_ biased.

Almost half an hour after he'd left, a gust of wind alerted Laura to Barry's arrival, and she shook her head in exasperation when she saw just how much food he had in his arms as he stepped through the doorway. Her own lunch was just barely visible underneath the horde of Big Belly Burger bags that he set down on his desk, but he eventually managed to dig out the steaming takeaway container from the Chinese restaurant down the street and pass it over to her. "I know that it's not technically your fault you have the fastest metabolism in the world, but I cannot stop hating you right now."

"What can I say? It's a gift." Barry smirked at her as he began to eat, the smug look on his face giving her the urge to at least flick him in the forehead, but Laura was interrupted in her endeavours by the elevator door opening. On instinct, both of them looked up to see who was coming, and Laura was pleasantly, if not at all, surprised to see Iris walk in. She hadn't seen the other woman much since their last encounter, since most of her social calls to the CPPD were to either see Barry, her father, or Eddie. Still, she gave the other woman a quick smile, which was returned, before her growling stomach reminded her of the food sitting before her.

"Hey, Barry, Laura. I just came by to say hi to Eddie, but Dad said you guys would up here, so I thought I'd drop by."

"Thanks, Iris. Hey, by the way, I saw your new post the other day."

"The one about the new metahuman? John Dawson, right? To be honest with you, I'm actually a bit surprised the Flash hasn't caught him yet."

Laura and Barry shared a quick, furtive look as Iris idly looked around the lab. From what he'd told her, despite Joe being in the know about their abilities and alter egos, it was important to keep Iris as in the dark about that part of their lives as possible. She wasn't sure she agreed with them on that part, but it was their secret to tell, not hers. Luckily, Iris didn't seem to have noticed their silent exchange, and Laura leant back into her chair when she turned around, allowing herself a moment's respite as Barry cleared his throat. "I mean, the guy killed someone, Iris. He's not going to be that easy to find." Iris just shook her head, smirking at Barry as if he were naïve enough to doubt, well, himself.

"The Flash is going to find him, just you wait. Oh, Barry, that reminds me, you're way overdue for family dinner this month. Dad says either you're coming tonight or you're working overtime for a month."

"So, I'll be there at 7?"

"Yup. Hey, Laura, you know, if you want to come, I'm sure Dad will be happy to have you."

Laura, who had just started to tune out the conversation, looked up suddenly at the mention of her name, her mind racing to try and find out what she had just missed. However, when nothing came to mind, Laura convinced herself that her best option was to agree with the last thing Iris had said. Iris seemed to light up as she nodded, and Laura prayed to whatever deity existed out there that she had not made a big mistake.

"That's great! I'll tell Dad to set an extra place. See you guys tonight!"

And as Iris departed, Laura was left sitting there in shock, completely unsure of what she had just gotten herself into.

"What...what did I just agree to?"

"Well, you just agreed to have dinner with our boss, who's also sort of my dad, his daughter, and her boyfriend. And me."

Well, crap.

* * *

Twenty minutes to seven, Laura was starting to wonder if a glass or two of the fine white wine she kept in her kitchen would help stop her hands from shaking. Probably not, but it would most likely make put her mind at ease somewhat. Still, she decided against having a drink, and simply tried her best to not freeze every surface she touched as she waited for Barry to arrive at her apartment. Since getting home from work, she had spent at least an hour desperately thinking up a way to simply erase that fateful nod, but she was the one who had gotten herself into the mess in the first place. There was no backing out of this, so her only option was to go ahead and make the best of the situation.

In any case, it was going to be one hell of an interesting night.

When Barry finally knocked on her door, Laura was seriously considering knocking back just even one glass of wine to steady her nerves. The black pants and the simple blue blouse were reasonably appropriate for a dinner with the detective and his family, but she couldn't stop herself from checking herself in the mirror a few times and downing a few glasses of ice water every two minutes. "Can we go now? I think I'm going to pass out." Barry immediately looked concerned, before he realized that what she was feeling was mostly nerves.

"Hey, listen. Joe likes the fact that you're always on time and Iris thinks you're great. You've met Eddie. You're friends with me. It's going to be fine. Just don't, you know, freeze whatever you're holding."

"Hey, listen. Joe likes you, mainly because you're always on time, and Iris thinks you're great. Plus, you've already met Eddie. It's going to be fine, as long as you don't, you know, freeze whatever you're holding."

That was obviously going to be a problem, considering that there was a large patch of frost forming on her purse where she was gripping it tightly, as well as on the bottle of wine she'd picked up for the Wests on the way home. "I _really_ should have been paying more attention."

"No kidding. Come on." Barry grinned, trying and failing horrendously to hide his amusement with her distress, and Laura grabbed on to him, the world blurring the second after she closed her door. Seconds later, both she and Barry arrived at a small, two-story bungalow in the suburbs of the city, painted forest green and white. As she tried to get her hair back under control and check if anything had caught fire, Laura caught a wistful look in Barry's eyes that spoke of a happy childhood with the West family, a bright smile accompanying it. From what he'd told her, Joe had been taking care of him since the day his mother had died. He was practically part of their family.

"Laura, Barry, right on time. Dad's just getting the roast out of the oven." Iris greeted them at the door seconds after they knocked, graciously accepting the wine, and Laura followed Barry inside with a smile to Iris, her senses instantly filling with the smell of the roast Iris mentioned. The Wests' home was small, but there was a cozy feeling that struck Laura with a sense of love - of family. As Barry went to join Joe and Iris in the kitchen, Laura made her way into the dining room, where Eddie was idling with a beer, apparently engrossed in a picture sitting on the sideboard, containing a younger Joe and two kids that had to be Barry and Iris. She allowed herself a smile at the wide grin on her partner's younger face before turning to the detective. "Detective Thawne?"

She must have startled him, because he jumped nearly three feet in the air when she spoke, but once he calmed down enough to recognize her, Laura saw the detective visibly relax.

"Sorry, Sanders. I was just - I wasn't paying attention."

"Don't worry about it. I guess I should learn to be a bit louder."

"It's fine, really."

They lapsed into awkward silence for several seconds.

"So, how are you things with you and Iris?"

"Pretty good, actualy. How are you fitting in at the CCPD?"

"As well as can be expected, I guess. By the way, I've been meaning to ask; have you and Detective West managed to catch those bank robbers yet?" Laura could distinctly remember the detective had seemed particularly eager to have the forensic analysis done as quickly as possible, so it seemed only logical to ask.

"No, not yet. Joe thinks that it might be some new metahuman, but to be honest, my money's on Snart."

Laura's heart stuttered painfully in her chest. She wondered, stupidly, if she'd heard him wrong.

"Sn - sorry, did you say Snart?"

"Yeah, Leonard Snart. Have you not heard of him?"

Laura didn't know when she'd stopped breathing. All she knew was that she'd heard Eddie say the name of one of three people she'd hoped she'd never see again, and then the world had gone silent. She wasn't even aware that Eddie was still talking. Only when Joe entered the room, Barry and Iris on his heels, did Laura finally find her way back to reality enough to muster a wan smile, and she was grateful that no one took notice. However, even as she sat down at the table, Laura still found herself painfully numb, unable to do anything but run over the seven words she was quickly starting to dread in her mind.

Leonard Snart was back in Central City.

* * *

"Detective West?"

"Oh, Laura; what can I do for you?"

Laura still wasn't quite completely over her shock about what Eddie had told her, but once dinner was done and the table was cleared, she'd made her way into the kitchen, where Joe was just staring to clean the dishes. Barry had joined Iris and Eddie in the living room, where they were talking over some cold beers, although with Barry it was just for show, since apparently any alcohol he consumed had no effect on him whatsoever. She was fairly certain that they wouldn't come looking for her if she stepped away for a while, which gave her just enough time to talk to Joe in private.

"Did - did you get a chance to read my files?"

Before Joe's eyes even met hers, Laura already knew the answer. Without saying another word to each other, they quietly slipped out into the backyard through the back door, where the lights in the garden made the entire space glow warmly in the dark. Still, Laura couldn't bring herself to enjoy the sight, knowing the conversation that was about to cime.

"Yeah, I did...you should know that Leonard Snart's back in town." Relief and shock flooded Laura so quickly she was surprised she didn't collapse on the spot, but as the sensations faded, she supposed it made sense. If Joe was going to fire her, he would have said something earlier, something she had been dreading since the moment he'd walked into S.T.A.R. Labs. Still, it looked like there was more the detective wanted to say.

"I know, Eddie told me. It's just…"

"Yes?"

"I'd like to take a look at his files. His records. Anything the CCPD has on him."

"That's going to take some time. And I'm going to need to pull some strings. I'm honestly not sure that I'll be able to get you everything."

"It doesn't have to be much. I just want the basics."

"I might have something up in my study. And, by the way, you don't need to worry. I haven't told Barry or the others about it. You tell them whenever you're ready."

 _If she would ever be ready._

"Thank you."

"Listen, Laura…I'm sorry about what happened. With your mother and all."

"It's - it's fine, Detective. It was a long time ago."

"Still, it can't have been easy for you. And please, call me Joe."

"…is there anyone else who knows?"

"Just me and the higher ups. I left the information with Captain Singh in case he wanted a look, but he said as long as you get the job done right, he won't ask any question unless absolutely necessary."

"Thank you, Det-Joe. I really mean it."

"No problem."

"…can I help you with the dishes?"

"Oh, definitely."

* * *

Laura huffed out a sigh of exasperation as she tossed the file Joe had slipped her before she'd left on to the coffee table. Even with a few glasses of wine in her system and relatively calm music playing throughout the apartment as she curled up on her couch, sleep still evaded her as the nausea that had set in at the Wests' house tore her stomach apart. Nor could she stop the frost from forming on the glass where her fingers clenched around it.

Leonard Snart had come back to Central City. He was probably still in the city at this very moment. That was definitely not good. The last time she'd seen him - the last time she'd seen _them_ \- well, she didn't have the strength to think about it. With the alcohol having torn down the defenses she'd long ago built up in her mind, images of that fateful day flashed through her mind: pain - sorrow - anger. It was always the same, no matter how many times or how many ways she looked back on it. There were very few good memories from that part of her life, so few that she could hardly tell the difference between good and downright miserable. The one thing those memories all shared was pain.

And now that Snart was back, things were going to get ugly. He was a wanted criminal in almost every state in the country, having made a name for himself as a world-class thief, and she was connected to him, if one had the patience and the time to find out exactly how. If Barry or the others found out, well, she couldn't even begin to fathom how they would feel about it. Part of her wanted to be positive about that hypothetical, but something told her that if - if - they found out, nothing would ever be the same between them again. With a heavy sigh, Laura put down her glass and started to clean up, but hours later, even as she laid in her bed, struggling to fall asleep, one thought continued to consume her mind entirely.

He was going to destroy _everything_.

 **Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I can't believe I've already gotten to Chapter 10, so I hope you guys enjoy it!**


	11. Chapter 11: A League of Their Own

To be fair, when Laura had woken up that morning, she had expected it to be a normal day. As normal as her life could get, sure, but normal. Therefore, it was a fair assumption that she hadn't really been expecting to meet the Arrow of all people later that day, or any other day of her life. Of course, like any other citizen who was lucky enough to not live in Starling City, she'd read the articles about the vigilante in the papers, albeit with far less interest than most, and the stories they'd told had been horrifying enough for her to postpone any trip to Starling indefinitely. She had been positive that if she just stayed away from the city no matter what, that would be enough to avoid meeting a grisly fate at the Arrow's hands. So, if it looked like she was about to fall apart at any moment, she was pretty sure that her explanation wouldn't seem too farfetched.

The police had finally found the metahuman of the week, who had apparently induced every person present at the bank he'd robbed to try and kill each other. Luckily, with the help of a bug slipped in between the stacks of bills he'd taken with him, they were able to track him down to an old storage warehouse in the industrial district. When the call came on over the police scanners, both Barry and Laura were ready to go. Oddly enough, however, the metahuman had been lying in wait, completely at ease even surrounded by a half-dozen armed officers. It had all become quite clear when the cop confronting him had pulled his weapon on Joe and the other officers. They'd gotten there just in time to get everyone out of the way, but mere seconds after the first shot, the officer had been ready to take another.

Needless to say, Laura had been very surprised when a man wielding a bow and arrow dropped down from the ceiling in the warehouse that night, wearing a green hood and talking a bit like Judge Dredd, taking out the cop before he could shoot again and unfortunately allowing the mysterious metahuman to get away. She was even more surprised when he made a crack about Barry's mask, before climbing up and out of the warehouse with more agility that she would ever have in her life. When they finally made it outside, hidden from the view of the officers, Laura was practically vibrating with nervousness and what she hoped look nothing like excitement.

"Why didn't you _tell_ me we know the Arrow?"

"It's not that big of a deal, Laura."

"Not that big of a de-it's the goddamn Arrow, Barry! How did you guys even meet?"

"I went to Starling City once before the incident, I ended up helping him out with a case, I came back. Besides, it's not like he comes here that often. And if you want to meet him…here he is."

Laura whirled around as Barry spoke, her eyes widening behind her goggles as the _fucking Arrow_ dropped from the roof of the warehouse right in front of her, landing on the pavement in a crouch before straightening up. He was even more intimidating up close, most of his face obscured by the green hood that had given him his first title.

"Hey."

"New friend, I see."

"Oh, right. Frostbite, this is the Arrow. Arrow, this is Frostbite. Frostbite's actually my partner." The vigilante sent her a curt nod, and Laura didn't know whether to say something or run away or hide behind Barry, all three of which were looking very tempting considering the barely concealed annoyance lurking in the Arrow's eyes.

"Are you busy?"

"No, not really. Why?"

"We've got a case. Felicity said you might be able to help."

"Wait, Felicity's here? Sweet!"

The next thing Laura knew, Barry disappeared in a burst of lightning, leaving Laura alone with, well, a former murderer and current vigilante. And to date, one of the most violent people Laura had ever read about, and that was saying something. "You're...you're not going to kill me, are you?"

"No."

Okay, cool. She would work with that.

Despite his curt assurances that he wouldn't kill her, Laura did not close her eyes once as the Arrow drove them both on his motorcycle towards the outskirts of the city, holding on for dear life the entire way. It started to rain en route, but Laura could just make out the general structure of an old warehouse in the distance, her goggles making it just a smidge easier to see in the downpour. There was a dark van parked out front, and if she squinted hard enough, she could see Barry, mask pulled back, talking to a pair of strangers under a dim light. She was starting to wonder if her partner had any sense of self-preservation at all, but she was slightly assured since it looked like he knew them. When the bike finally came to a halt, Barry dashed to her side, wearing a wide grin and apparently completely unaware of how terrified she'd been. And still was.

Laura looked over to the tall, dark man, who was just staring at Barry in silent awe, and the bubbly blonde with the glasses who didn't seem to notice her at all. However, when she turned back to face him, he was talking with the Arrow, with enough to ease to make it obvious that he wasn't too bothered by the man's past – at least what he knew of it. For a second, Laura didn't recognize the voice of the person Barry was talking to, now that he'd dropped the Judge Dredd act. But as she turned around, the Arrow's face, now out in the open with his hood drawn back, clicked in her mind, which went blank a second later. Her mouth fell open, but she quickly worked to get it moving again before she spoke.

"You're Oliver Queen."

"Laura…"

"Oliver Queen's the Arrow."

 _"Laura_ –"

"Oh, shush, you. You never tell me anything." The Arrow – or was it Oliver, she wasn't sure what he preferred – rolled his eyes and glared at Barry as he tried to interrupt on Laura's epiphany. Slowly, she peeled off her goggles and stuck her hand out, trying not to let the frantic beating of her heart somehow show on her face as she did.

"Laura Sanders. Nice to meet you."

To her surprise, he took her outstretched hand, and Laura had to fight down her nervousness as she felt her hands start to grow cold. When Oliver, she decided, finally let go and strode over to his partners, Laura took the chance to punch Barry lightly in the shoulder, making him yelp a bit. He looked ready to say something, most likely not an apology, but he bit it back as they approached the trio. Just like the five of them at S.T.A.R. Labs, Laura had an inkling that whoever these three people were, they were a team.

"So, what are you guys doing here?"

"Glad you asked. There was a suspicious homicide in Starling where the murder weapon was, wait for it: a boomerang." Laura's eyes widened as the blonde, whose chipper attitude reminded her just a bit too much of Cisco on one of his patented caffeine highs, removed a police evidence bag from her purse. The boomerang inside looked sharp enough to break skin, and Laura joined Barry as he took it out to look at it. The weapon's design was clearly not amateur work and had most definitely been made for combat, although it was hard to tell who would have made it.

"Cool." Barry murmured, but a quick and exasperated glare from Oliver silenced him. Oddly enough, the formerly murderous vigilante wasn't the type of person who liked people getting excited over murder weapons.

"The tests I ran on it found trace amounts of iron oxide. It's not much of a lead, but Central City does have the highest concentration of iron oxide in the country."

"Good thinking. Although Coast City does come close second." Laura murmured, tracing her fingers over the grooves in the weapon, before she realized that the other two members of the Arrow's team were staring at her in confusion. For a moment, the man's eyes flicked over her, and she wondered if she'd simply imagined the way his hands shifted closer towards his belt. For a brief second, she wondered if taking off her goggles if front of two complete strangers and one of the most terrifying persons alive had been the best idea.

"I'm sorry, who are you again?"

"Uh – Laura. I work with Barry."

"At S.T.A.R. Labs?" Laura shot Barry a look at the same time the blonde did, though hers seemed to be more questioning, and he quickly took action.

"Laura Sanders, meet John Diggle and Felicity Smoak. Diggle, Felicity, Laura goes by Frostbite. She also just started working at the crime lab."

Felicity seemed to have a stroke of realization in between one second and the next as recognition spread across her face, and it took even longer before she was able to at least move her mouth somewhat to speak. "Oh my God. You're her."

" _Felicity_ …"

"Right. Sorry. I read about you online – I didn't realize you had a name chosen for yourself."

"…don't worry about it?"

"Yeah, actually, we've been trying to track down a nasty metahuman who makes people angry. Really angry."

"Awesome."

Okay, she could see how Felicity and Barry had become friends, as Oliver sent another glare her way to curb her enthusiasm. As Barry continued to converse with the rest of the Arrow's team, Laura could not stop staring at Oliver. She had heard plenty of horror stories about his time as the murderous Hood, and even more as the Arrow, and had spent a handful of moments over the past few years considering about what such a person would be like. Not once had she expected the Arrow to be Oliver Queen, the heir to a failing company who had been stranded on a tropical island for five years, and then returned the same year that the Ho–actually, never mind, it was starting to make sense now.

However, just as Laura was about to rejoin the conversation, Barry disappeared in a flash of red and yellow, taking Felicity away to a place she could only assumed was S.T.A.R. Labs. Oliver's other teammate – John – seemed to be in a state of eternal shock, which was only reasonable, and any other time, it would have been funny. Would have being the operative phrase, had Barry not left her in the middle of nowhere with a known killer and a complete stranger, both of whom now knew her identity.

God, she was going to make him regret that.

"Any chance you guys could give me a lift?"

The ride back to her apartment was awkward, which, in hindsight, she should have expected. Initially, she'd wondered if it was possible for her to walk all the way back home, but now that the Arrow knew who she was, it probably wasn't as bad as knowing where she lived. She sat in the backseat of the van that Oliver and his team had driven to Central, while he and John sat up front. For the longest time, neither of them spoke to each other, letting the sound of the rain outside and the engine's rumbling fill the silence, but as the grass on the sides of the road started to change into pavement, Laura forced herself to lean forward and speak first.

"I have to admit, I'm curious – how does Oliver Queen become the Hood become the Arrow?"

"How does a microbiologist become a metahuman vigilante?"

Damn. He was almost as good as deflecting as she was. And it was a bit intimidating that he knew what she'd been doing before the accident, especially since they'd just met; she'd have to ask Barry about that later. And stay off the Internet for the next twenty years. And maybe move.

"Well, you put that microbiologist in a lab that explodes, you splice her DNA, you give her a codename, you send her out into the world, and hope she doesn't develop anxiety or die along the way."

"Wait, wait, hold up a second. Your DNA's _spliced_?" Looking back at John Diggle's reaction to Barry's speed, Laura could safely say that learning that she was a metahuman hybrid was probably a big shock for him. It was clear that Starling City didn't have to deal with the unusual as much Central City did.

"It's a bit of a long story." John nodded slowly, his eyes trained on her with such intensity that she almost had to look away, and Laura sighed before holding out her hand for him. After a moment's hesitation, he took it, and Laura focused just enough cold for him to notice, holding back a full flow to stop herself from crippling him. When he finally registered just how cold his hand felt, John wrenched it out of Laura's grip, and she sat back in her seat with a small smile, feeling just the tiniest bit smug as he stared at his hand in what looked like awe, mixed with just a hint of fear.

"What the hell?"

"It's weird, I know. I'll send you the CliffsNotes."

"No, it's not weird…it's…it's _interesting_." Laura was completely sure that it was safe to say that John Diggle was not going to fare well if he found out about the other metahumans Barry had already encountered, especially not John Dawson. However, before either of them could say anything else, Oliver spoke up from the driver's seat, his voice clipped and short.

"Impressive. But you and Barry both need to be more careful, even with your abilities. You went into that warehouse tonight without knowing what that metahuman could do. You need to be more prepared."

"Does that include having to sign up for a gym?"

"Preferably not."

"Oh, good. I was worried there for a second."

The rest of the ride passed in silence, and when Oliver finally pulled up in front of her building, Laura climbed out of the van, folding up her jacket and pocketing her goggles to prevent anyone from recognizing her, despite the fact that it was still raining and hardly anybody was walking outside at so late an hour. Still, one could never be too careful. However, just a few feet away from the door, Laura turned around and knocked a few times on the window, waiting for John to roll down his window.

"Yeah?"

"It's been nice meeting you. Both of you. And," she hesitated, meeting Oliver's gaze steadily, "thanks for dropping in when you did."

"Likewise." And with that, Laura was left standing alone in the rain, watching as the black van pulled away into the night, disappearing off to God knows where, carrying the Arrow with it.

The Arrow, who was also Oliver Queen.

Oliver Queen was the Arrow.

Oh God, was she going to need a drink.

* * *

The next morning, with the clouds from the night before still hanging ominously over the city, Laura walked into the control room S.T.A.R. Labs with a breakfast sandwich from Jitters, only to stop short at the sight of a sizeable gouge in the wall near Cisco's workspace, a few shattered partitions and a busted wall light. Whatever had happened, it must have taken place the night before, because no one was currently screaming at the top of their lungs. Speaking of Cisco – he waved at her meekly from behind the consoles, a sheepish look on his face, and Laura slowly approached him, taking care to not trigger whatever had almost destroyed their headquarters.

"Cisco, what's that on the wall?"

"Funny story. Turns out the boomerang that Felicity brought us last night moves on its own."

"Ah."

"Uh-huh."

"Caitlin nearly gouged out your eyes last night, didn't she?"

"You betcha. But, hey, I heard you met the Arrow last night." It wasn't too hard to tell that Cisco was a fan of Oliver's, if the excitement that lit up his face was anything to go by. Laura really shouldn't have been surprised at that point, but she simply nodded and sat down in the seat next to him. When she looked up, he was still staring at her, his eyes meeting hers with unnerving intensity.

"Cisco? Why are you staring at me?"

"How was it? Do you know who he really is?"

"Listen, Cisco, if the Arrow wants to add you to the list of people who know his real identity, I'm pretty sure he'd give you a call to let you know. But for your information, it was absolutely terrifying."

"Aww. Anything else?"

"…is it possible that you might be able to get me some transportation?"

"For what?"

"For missions. I had to hitch a ride with the Arrow last night after Barry left me behind, and it was not a fun time. Trust me on that, Cisco. Never ask that man for a ride."

"Okay, okay. You know, if you did have your own vehicle, it would come in handy on solo missions. What were you thinking?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure my ride last night would suggest a motorcycle. Do you think you can do it?"

"Definitely." The spark of excitement and anticipation returned to Cisco's eyes as soon as she finished speaking, and as he rushed away to start his latest project, he was almost immediately replaced by Dr. Wells. The former head of S.T.A.R. Labs looked exhausted and irritated, to put it mildly, as he entered the room, and she wondered if she should say anything to let him know he wasn't alone before he turned to face them, his voice quiet and flat. "Dr. Sanders, may I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What is your opinion of the Starling City vigilante?"

"The Arrow?"

"Yes, yes, him. From my understanding of last night's events, you spent a great deal of time with him, did you not?"

Dr. Well's tone of voice brooked no argument, although Laura wasn't certain if she could call an awkward and slightly terrifying motorcycle and car ride qualified as 'spending a great deal of time' with someone.

"You don't trust him."

"I never said anything of the sort."

"Dr. Wells, I get it. He is - was a murderer, and he might still be murdering people and that is honestly terrifying. But he saved Joe's life last night, and those other officers', and ours. At the very least, I respect him."

"I respect him too. But I'm also afraid of him. I can't tell which."

"Good to know, Cisco."

"No problem."

Dr. Wells did not respond for several tense seconds, and Laura and Cisco didn't dare take their eyes off of him, awaiting his reaction. His opinion. On the man who had killed so much in the past and who had also done so much to rectify that. Laura had meant what she'd said. Of course, Oliver's past as a vigilante killing criminals was both terrifying and disturbing. It was something she wasn't going to be able to put aside anytime soon, no matter how much time she might spend with the man, but if she were being truthful, he didn't seem like a bad person. It was something that she'd developed over the years, the ability to quickly gauge a person. No matter what past he had behind him, he seemed to be trying to achieve peace through his actions. She could only hope that Dr. Wells understood that.

"Thank you for your input, Dr. Sanders, but I am capable of formulating my own impression of a man like that. When the time comes, I will judge the Arrow as I see fit. As will Detective West." And all Cisco and Laura could do after that was watch Dr. Wells disappear into the maze of hallways. As she watched him go, Laura had a funny feeling in her gut, something akin to suspicion and trepidation, but she shrugged it off in favour of watching Cisco work, his tablet laid out before him in his workspace.

"I take it Barry telling you guys the Arrow's in town didn't go over well with Joe or Dr. Wells."

"That's an understatement. I'm pretty sure Joe just wants to get the Arrow out of town before anyone gets hurt. Or dies."

"That's reasonable."

"I'm pretty sure he was thinking more along the lines of chasing him down the freeway with a shotgun. That reminds me, how do you feel about more black and blue?"

As it turned out, the more Laura and Cisco bounced ideas off of each other for the bike, the more she found herself warming up to the idea. Of course, she had never even been on a motorcycle before her ride with the Arrow the night before, much less ridden one, so lessons were definitely in her foreseeable future, but she wasn't going to give up that easily. Finally, after what must have been hours, Laura's phone lit up with a text. Cisco didn't even look up, so entirely wrapped up in his work that he didn't even notice as she rummaged around in her bag to find her phone. She smiled as she opened the message; it was always nice to see him so excited about his work.

"Who is it?"

"Barry. He wants me to meet him somewhere."

"Is it with the Arrow? Can I come?"

"A – Maybe. B – No. C – Can I borrow your car?"

 **Thanks for reading, everybody! Have a great New Year!**


	12. Chapter 12: Seeing Red

"He's going to shoot arrows at us."

"Yeah."

"For training."

"Right."

"Arrows. Actual arrows. Really, _really_ sharp arrows."

"Yup."

"How well do you know this man again?"

Laura and Barry stood side-by-side in the middle of a field, right next to the warehouse they had met with Oliver's team the night before. It was still fairly cold and damp, and while Laura was perfectly fine with the temperature, her abilities did not account for the rain that continued to fall over the city. Both men were waiting for her when she got there, but Barry looked less than pleased to be there than he had been the other night. Apparently, Oliver had decided that they both in great need of training, given their less than stellar approach to the metahuman the night before. Which was perfectly fine with Laura, even if his training regimen did include the arrows that he was famous for putting into the criminal scum of Starling City.

Okay, maybe she wasn't entirely okay with that.

At the moment, however, Laura was more concerned about how confident about the whole situation Barry seemed to be. He was pretty much vibrating with anticipation beside her, almost as if he were eager, or worse, excited, to train with Oliver, but Laura had little time to question him about it as Oliver strode towards them, a full quiver on his back and bow in hand. Laura didn't know what it was exactly, but there was something about the whole ensemble that told her Oliver Queen was not to be trifled with. She wondered how many had seen that same side of him and lived to tell the tale, and mentally decided that was a question she did not need answered.

"I think it goes without saying that both of you need to be better prepared in the field. You went after that metahuman the other night without any idea of what he was capable of, and you nearly got yourselves killed."

"Oliver," Laura winced at the arrogance in Barry's voice, "I can literally move at the speed of light. You told me yourself that I could be a hero. That's what I'm doing."

"Living this life takes more than a mask, Barry. It takes discipline, and it takes precision; it takes _caution_. Now," Laura's heart leapt up into her throat as Oliver notched an arrow, and levelled it at Barry's chest, "you're going to run over there, you're going to come at me, and you're going to get shot."

"No, I'm not." At that, Barry burst into a fit of slightly hysterical laughter, a far cry from how Laura was feeling at the moment. The only difference was, she could see that Oliver was completely serious.

" _Yes_ , you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Barry-"

"Alright, fine, I'll humour you."

Laura stepped out of the way Oliver as Barry raced a few hundred yards away, turning to face them atop a small slope both a few seconds later.

"Ready?"

She just barely heard Oliver repeat the sentiment before he released the arrow. It barely travelled a few feet before it was consumed by lightning, and then Barry was standing in front of them, holding the arrow in his hand and looking more confident in himself than she had ever seen him.

"Nice tr- _GOD_!" The scream of pain that erupted from Barry made Laura jump a few feet into the air in shock. When she recovered, she could just make out the shafts of two arrows embedded in Barry's back, shot from what appeared to be an automatic launcher hidden behind him in the tall grass. He shouted in pain as Oliver calmly made his way around and ripped the arrows out, which elicited a louder cry and a string of curse words that Laura had never expected to hear from her partner. As Oliver went to go check on his weapons of terror, Laura rushed to Barry's side, manhandling him until she could see his back properly. The wounds had stopped bleeding, which meant that he was already healing, although he would probably need a new jacket after this. And a new shirt.

"You _shot_ me?"

And maybe therapy.

"I heard you heal fast. Laura, you're up next."

"Okay, but as a warning, I don't heal as fast. So, please, be gentle." Even though she was being completely serious, considering what she'd just seen Barry go through, Oliver cracked a small smile – at least she hoped it was a smile – before turning to face her, unarmed but most certainly a threat, if the way his body shifted into a fighting stance was anything to go by.

"I know. That's why you're going to try and take me down."

"What?"

"I'm going to attack you, and you're going to try to take me down."

"Wait, _what_?"

"Starting now."

Before Laura could react, Oliver was moving at her with such speed and precision that she knew he had to have been trained professionally. Or at least by ninjas. She barely avoided his first punch, but he came after her again, and Laura threw up an arm as his leg came around. However, in the blink of an eye, Laura found herself on the ground, pinned down underneath Oliver and utterly vulnerable. Cold gathered in her palms against her will, itching to be let out as it pushed at her fingertips, but something told her that all Oliver had to do was press a little harder on her throat and that would be it. And he hadn't even broken a sweat.

Ninjas it was.

When he finally released her, Laura briefly hesitated before accepting the hand offered to her, trying to ignore the sharp ache in her back where she'd hit the ground. As she stood, Laura felt a bit of her cold seep into Oliver's hand, and she felt a bit bad as he let go rather quickly, though his expression didn't betray any pain. Off to the side, however, Barry looked just a smidge more irritated than he'd been before, probably because she hadn't been shot with arrows, though Laura was certainly not complaining.

"Let me get this straight. I get shot in the back and she gets a bit roughed up? How is that fair?"

"It's not, because you're as stubborn as hell and she's actually fairly reasonable. Also, you heal faster than she does." Laura hurried to hide a smile at the indignation that bloomed on Barry's face, though it quickly faded when he turned on his heel to disappear in a familiar blur and a gust of wind. Which, once again, left her with Oliver, alone, in the middle of nowhere. With his weapons.

They were going to need to have a serious talk when this whole thing was over.

"You're holding back."

"I'm sorry?"

"You're holding back," Oliver explained, "because you're afraid. Whatever's keeping you from using your powers to their full extent, someone will find a way to use it against you."

Afraid? Laura had been afraid many times in her life - far too many times - and she supposed she knew what fear felt like, after all this time. Looking back on her brief training session with Oliver, however, Laura couldn't pinpoint any single moment where she had actually been afraid. Hesitant? Of course. Apprehensive? Undoubtedly.

But afraid?

"I'll keep that in mind - listen, I'm sorry Barry ran off like that. I'm not sure why he's so angry."

"It's...I understand; I was like him once. What's been given to you will only get you so far, and when you realize that, denial is the easiest option. He needs to learn that you have to be prepared in this line of work, no matter how fast you can run." Laura nodded thoughtfully as Oliver began to pack up his equipment, and did her best to ease the ache in her back as she joined him. However, something continued to bother her, gnawing away incessantly at the back of her mind, and Laura sighed when she realized that she couldn't keep it inside forever.

"Oliver?"

"Yes?"

"I - I know it's not place my place to say, but a person doesn't go missing for five years and come back without going through a lot of crap." Oliver's face clouded over as she spoke, and Laura fought past the brief flicker of anxiety to get her words. "Barry's young; he has his own way of dealing with the world, even if it's not the best. But he's seen hardship, no matter how much he likes to pretend he hasn't; we both have. So, please, don't give up on him yet. He needs you."

"Really."

"I know, I know, it's ridiculous, I just met you last night. But from what I've seen, Barry…Barry respects you. He _trusts_ you, despite what some people in his life may think about you. You're the hero he aspires to be, Oliver."

"Your point being?"

"Don't give up on him, no matter how many times he runs away. Just…just stick with him, as long as you can. He needs somebody like you."

"And you?"

"…I'll manage."

The silence that fell between them was far past the line of comfortable, and Laura briefly wondered with a flash of fear if she'd crossed a line. However, after a few moments of staring at her with an inscrutable expression, Oliver let out a sigh and nodded his agreement, and Laura allowed herself to smile at him, albeit shakily. The Arrow may have been a killer once, but Oliver Queen was a decent man, as far as she could tell. He had gone through things she couldn't even begin to imagine, and despite his faults, he had managed to hold on to whatever small piece of humanity had survived. The thought comforted her, somehow.

As he packed away his things, however, Laura realized that while Felicity and Diggle were off doing whatever Team Arrow did to find their targets, Oliver was on his own, just as much as she was due to Barry's stubbornness. With a shaky sigh, she turned around and met Oliver's eyes, hoping that she wasn't about to make a big mistake. Besides, it wasn't as if she had anything better to do.

"You want to grab some coffee?"

* * *

"People are staring at us."

"Oliver Queen in Central City with a random young woman _is_ a bit unusual. All you have to do is ignore them and not make anyone fear for their lives, okay?"

Almost an hour after the training session and Barry's departure, Oliver and Laura were comfortably situated in a booth in the back of Jitters. It was far enough away from the street that nobody would notice them, but the occasional customer or serve would cast them a sideways glance ever so often. Luckily, Iris wasn't working a shift; she'd heard from Barry firsthand just how excited she'd been that her best friend knew _the_ Oliver Queen, and Laura wasn't exactly ready to be bombarded with questions, especially with the man sitting right across from her.

"So, your team has to have some sort of base in Starling, right?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Right. But you know where we work, don't you?" Laura smirked at the exasperated expression on Oliver's face, and watched with a relative sense of triumph while his attention was diverted by another customer daring to get close enough to snap a picture of him. His eyes remained fixed on the person's back as they walked away, and only when they disappeared from his line of sight did his attention shift back to her.

"Laura, I know you mean well, but the less you and your team know about my work, the better. It's how it has to be."

"I get that. By the way, thanks, again, for helping us with that meta last night. You probably don't get this much weirdness in Starling."

The corners of Oliver's mouth lifted slightly as he raised his cup to take another sip, and Laura allowed herself to relax and smile in return. It appeared that whatever assumptions Dr. Wells and Joe held towards him, at least most of them were unfounded. She took a long drag of her hot chocolate, savouring the warmth that spread through her, right to the tips of her fingers. However, as she set her cup down, Laura was a bit startled to see Oliver gazing at her with intensity she hoped was only reserved for criminals. The longer he stared, unfortunately, the more Laura felt as if he were looking straight through her.

When Oliver finally opened his mouth to speak, Laura's phone buzzed loudly, interrupting whatever he had been about to say. She shook off the uneasy feeling that always came with being stared, and broke eye contact with Oliver to dig her phone out of her jacket. The second she opened up her messages, however, Laura was on her feet, tugging her jacket on with one hand. Almost instantly, Oliver was standing as well, and as she turned to face him, she could see that he was concerned.

"What is it?"

"Barry found our metahuman."

"And?"

"He went after him alone."

* * *

"Is he okay?"

"I'm fine, _and_ I'm right here."

As Barry spoke up from the stool where Caitlin was monitoring every vital sign she could think of, Laura felt like as if she were about to suffocate from worry. Since she'd arrived, all she'd done was fight the urge to make sure her partner was okay herself, knowing that Caitlin was probably the best qualified to do so. She'd left Oliver with a quick apology before racing for Cisco's car, and fighting her way through traffic to get to S.T.A.R. Labs as quickly as possible. Apparently, Barry had lost to the metahuman – whom she could now refer to as Roy Bivolo – during their little skirmish, and Laura was starting to think that her partner was going to need more than just one training session with Oliver. His self-preservation still needed a lot of work as well.

"There doesn't seem to be anything physically wrong with him, but I won't be able to tell if Bivolo's powers affected him unless I run some tests."

"I told you guys, I'm fine. Why are you being so weird about this?" As the tight pressure around her ribcage lifted and breathing became easier, Laura found herself a bit disturbed by how casual Barry sounded about such a serious situation. The last time he'd even gotten close to Bivolo, which was barely a day ago, everyone Bivolo had affected had been trying to kill each other out of rage, and he'd nearly turned a bank heist into a homicide. She wondered, suddenly, if he had if Bivolo could have gotten away without using his abilities; it seemed unlikely, but the prospect of Barry being affected in the way that those at the bank had been was frankly terrifying. Either way, it was probably best if they didn't take any chances.

"So, no desire to go MMA on any of us?" Felicity spoke up from the side of the room, where she had been chewing nervously at her nails the entire time, never once taking her eyes off of Barry. She'd already been there for a while when Laura had peeled into the room, looking like a nervous wreck, but neither they nor Caitlin had found enough courage to speak out loud until Barry returned and they were able to collectively wrangle him on to the stool. It was obvious that she was worried about him, and Laura found herself wondering just how close the two were, given that it was likely they'd met through the Arrow.

"No. I told you, something weird happened with his eyes for a second, and then he got away."

"Weird? Weird, how?" In their line of work, 'weird' could turn out to be either less normal than usual or completely disastrous.

"His eyes went red for a second, but that was about it."

Well, weren't they in trouble now. Laura remembered hearing the statements from the victims at the bank, how they had seen a red glint in Bivolo's eyes before they lost control. One woman had even tried to shoot one of the men in the bank, her brain so addled by rage that she wouldn't be able to explain to the police how she'd gotten it in the first place. Barry had definitely been affected, no matter what he told them. And judging by the look Caitlin and Felicity were sharing across the room, they had reached the same conclusion. However, before either of them could say another word, Barry was up on his feet and striding out of the room, and Laura had to break into a jog to follow him, the other women right on her heels.

"Look, guys, just leave it, okay?. All I need to do is find Bivolo and we can forget this ever happened."

"Barry, can you just hold on for a second?"

"Caitlin, stop-" He was starting to sound angry, and as much as she wanted to tell her friend to hold back, Laura didn't react quickly enough.

"What you did was reckless and stupid. You went after Bivolo _alone._ You take far too many risks, and as fast as you can run, that's going to catch up with you someday."

"Caitlin-"

What came next caught Laura completely off guard, but in hindsight, she should have seen it coming. Barry whirled around, and Laura would swear to her dying day that she saw a flash of red in his eyes before he spoke, his voice hard and angry, pushing up into Caitlin's space.

"You know what, Caitlin? I'm not Ronnie - I don't need to be saved or protected. I don't need any of you to look after me. I'm not a child, so why don't you back off and stop treating me like a _child_."

 _"Barry."_ Laura barked out as she stepped forward, until she was standing in between the two of them, one arm outstretched to keep him at bay. Even though she had no intention of hurting him, Laura forced herself to focus enough cold in her hands to at least slow Barry down, if the situation called for it. It went without saying that speed and rage were a dangerous combination, which put them all at a serious disadvantage if he started on a rampage. However, Laura was not ready to hear Caitlin's voice next, as quiet as it was.

"You're...you're right, Barry. You're not Ronnie. You never will be."

Jesus.

That was just too much, and the worst thing was, Barry didn't even seem to realize what he'd done, how much damage he'd caused. Something was obviously wrong with him, and Laura shot him a quick glare before she took off after Caitlin, who had disappeared into the hallway. As she walked, Laura knew that while she had spent years strengthening herself against spiteful words and hateful stares, Caitlin had no such defenses, and that it was best if she had someone to support her in moments like these. When she finally found Caitlin, her friend was leaning heavily against the wall, her head cradled in her hands and her back facing Laura. She approached Caitlin slowly, but before she could get too close, Caitlin looked up, her eyes red and wet with unshed tears.

Before she could say a word, Caitlin flung herself into Laura's arms, latching on like a limpet. If she heard Caitlin crying, she didn't mention it and simply held her tongue, rubbing soothing circles into Caitlin's trembling back. When Caitlin finally pulled back, Laura felt something in her tug painfully at the sight of her friend looking so weary, her eyes swimming with unshed tears, and kept a hand on her arm even when she pulled away.

"Caitlin, I…"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just...it's _hard_."

"Barry's been affected. You know he wouldn't say that if he wasn't."

"…it just hurts. I miss him so much."

"I - I know."

"...Laura?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

It took a while for Caitlin to calm down, and with assurances that she was fine to go clean up on her own, Laura made her way back to the control room alone. Caitlin was stronger than most people realized; but like all armour, hers had weaknesses to it. She only hoped that someday, her friend would heal from her loss, as recent and as large as it was. However, when she stepped inside, Laura felt a twinge of panic when she realized that Barry was nowhere to be seen. Felicity looked a little worse for wear, her hands flitting about like the wings of a hummingbird as she approached them, and her mouth was pressed into a tight, white line. Something was wrong.

"Felicity? What's going on? Where's Barry?"

"That was the Arrow. He wants another session with Barry."

Oh, _fuck._

 **Hello all! I hope you've all had a great holiday season, and that you're ready for some more adventures with Laura and the Flash gang.**

 **Happy reading!**


	13. Chapter 13: Triumvirate

Things took a sharp turn for the worse after Barry left.

The S.T.A.R. Labs control room was on full red alert that night. Dr. Wells, Cisco and Caitlin had been monitoring the police scanners for any mention of the Flash since he'd taken off, while Felicity paced back and forth with her phone glued to her ear, most likely talking with Oliver. They hadn't heard a word from Barry since his sudden departure, and most of them had worked themselves up into a frenzy trying to make some sort of contact with him. Laura sat beside Cisco at the consoles, completely at a loss for what to do. She distracted herself temporarily by listening to what the others were saying, but she was still worried about Barry. Finally, Felicity, looking even more strung out than before, if that was possible, ended her call and made her way back to the others.

"That was the Arrow. He says Barry was acting strangely earlier when they met up."

"Strangely, how?"

"He's been whammied." Everyone looked up as Joe entered, looking unbearably tired and as if he'd just seen a ghost. "Just blew up in our faces at the precinct when we asked about the Bivolo case. I've never seen him that angry before. And his eyes – they glowed red." Everyone shared a worried glance as Joe spoke; it was clear that they were all thinking the same thing. Barry was now under the effects of Bivolo's metahuman powers, and it only seemed to be getting worse.

"It's possible that his system has been fighting off the effects since his encounter with Bivolo. That may be why we haven't noticed it until now, and why the effects are escalating."

"How are we going to stop him? That much rage, and his powers? Someone's going to get hurt."

"Seems like a good time for a cold gun, wouldn't you say?" As soon as Cisco said it, he was almost immediately shut down by everyone in the room. Laura had heard nothing nice about that gun, which was currently in the possession of one Leonard - Leonard Snart. Judging by what she'd been told about their last encounter, any type of weapon that could potentially cripple Barry was to be used only as a last resort. Besides, even if they did have the time to assemble a cold gun, Barry was probably angry enough to destroy them all before they could even fire the first shot. But as Laura pondered their options, the answer came to her like a bolt of lightning.

There was only one person in the entire city who could take down Barry and make sure he didn't hurt anyone, someone more qualified than any of them for the job. And it seemed that Dr. Wells was thinking the exact same thing, as his gaze swept across the room to land on Felicity, who suddenly seemed very uncomfortable to be standing in the spotlight.

"None of us can stop Barry. Fortunately, Ms. Smoak knows someone who can. I think you'd better call back Oliver Queen – we're going to need the Arrow."

* * *

"God, I knew it! I _knew_ Oliver Queen was the Arrow. I mean, I had a list of about…150 people, but he was definitely on there."

John sent Cisco a glare that was half anger, half 'are you kidding me', but he hardly noticed. After Dr. Wells had gone ahead and revealed Oliver's secret identity to the entire room – oh, she was not looking forward to that conversation – Felicity had called John, and he'd arrived shortly after only to become the subject of Cisco's magnificent coping skills, rambling and pacing. The man didn't look that fazed by the current situation, but Laura could tell that he was worried; the only thing she couldn't tell was whether it was for Barry or for Oliver.

"Is there any way to stop Barry's rampage?"

"I have a theory about how we might be able to do that, but I'm going to need some help. Joe, are you up for it?"

"Absolutely, but the first thing we need to do is find Barry before he hurts somebody."

"I've got him!"

Laura was by Felicity's side in a matter of seconds, the blonde having secured herself a computer in the far corner of the room. She immediately picked out Barry on the traffic video Felicity pulled up. It appeared Barry had found an outlet for his anger, and it just happened to be on a crowded street in the middle of the city, full of innocent civilians who were about to bear the brunt of his anger.

"Oliver's on his way."

"Good. Tell him I'll be waiting."

"Laura, wait!"

"That's my partner out there." Laura's voice was firm as she turned to face the others; she had to look away quickly, to avoid changing her mind. "I'm not going to be able to live with myself if someone gets hurt and all I did was watch through a screen. I _have_ to be there."

"Barry's not himself, Laura - he's not going to hesitate to hurt you, or Oliver."

"...that's a risk I'm willing to take. Now, if there are no further objections, I think it's time we all got ready."

* * *

"You need to _calm down_."

As she had requested, Oliver was waiting for her outside of S.T.A.R. Labs when she finally emerged from the building. They'd barely said a word to each other, and Laura could only speak for herself when she said that the entire ride was tense and terrifying. Now, with Caitlin, Cisco and everybody else waiting with bated breath on the other side of her earpiece, Laura was standing just across the street from Barry and Oliver, the latter who had a cable wrapped around Barry. Her stomach churned violently when she saw that Barry had managed to locate Eddie and Iris in the pandemonium, and she could only be thankful that they had arrived in time for the couple to escape unharmed. However, there was a more pressing issue at hand – Barry.

"And _you_ need to hold on!" Laura blinked, and Oliver was gone in a flash of lightning, snapping forward on the cable when Barry finally ground to a halt in a nearby alley. When Oliver finally slowed to a stop, Laura did a very stupid thing, and stepped forward.

"Barry - Barry, please don't do this."

"I don't have to listen to you!" He still hadn't turned to face her, so she would need to deflect as much of his rage as possible towards her to give Oliver a chance to recover. With a quick, silent apology, Laura stomped her foot on the ground; she could feel the cold flowing from her core to her feet, spreading out and forming a thin sheet of ice that sent Barry sprawling when he tried to move. She heard him cry out in rage as he fell, the sound almost non-human, and Laura hastily stepped back when she saw him climbing to his feet. In the span of a second, Laura was pressed up against a nearby wall, Barry's hand locked tightly around her neck, closing off her airway. The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs, and Laura gasped for air as her vision started to darken, a pair of red eyes staring at her through the darkness.

"Laura!"

She vaguely registered a burst of heat nearby, followed by an explosion and a roar of mingled rage and pain, before the grip on her throat lifted. Laura fell to her knees in a coughing fit, her eyes watering and the sights and sounds of the world blurring around her. When she finally managed to get to her feet, a dizzy spell trying and failing to knock her back down, Barry was on his knees in front of Oliver, almost hyperventilating in anger as he grasped at an arrow deeply embedded in his shoulder.

"That's 2000 mg of horse tranquilizer entering your system. It should be hitting you anytime now."

Oliver was proven wrong, unfortunately, when Barry wrenched the tranquilizer arrow from his shoulder with a shout of defiant rage, and as he stood, began to vibrate. Laura recognized too late that he was forcing himself to sweat off the sedative as a light green mist drifted away from him. A second later, Barry had Oliver surrounded in a tight cyclone of red and yellow, the force of which nearly blew Laura off of her feet. She would have used her cold to slow Barry down, but he was moving just too fast for her to get a clear shot and there was no way to be certain she wouldn't hit Oliver.

Suddenly, an arrow shot up out of the twister, and Laura watched as Oliver shot upwards towards the roof of the building where the arrow had lodged itself. Barry, now almost entirely lost in his rage, ran after Oliver with a roar, and Laura shot a blast of cold his way, which he just barely avoided. She suppressed a gasp of horror as he ripped the arrow out of the concrete, sending Oliver plummeting back towards the ground. Luckily, he managed to notch and secure another arrow before he hit the ground, dropping to the concrete with a hard thud, Barry following seconds later.

Now, Barry was between them, entirely focused on Oliver, and as he rushed towards him again, it struck Laura that there was only one way she could help in this fight. The blur that became Barry was almost impossible to track, but the moment Laura saw Oliver stop him with a sudden backhand blow to the side of his head, she jumped. Her hands found the bare skin of his face instantly, and Laura forced every bit of cold she had available into him, latching on to his back. The resulting scream that left him was almost too painful for her to bear, but Laura kept her grip on him as tight as she could.

However, the anger Barry felt was just too strong, and Laura went flying as he threw her off with a roar, hitting the asphalt as he vibrated to warm himself up once again. She swore she heard something crack as she collided with the ground, but through the blinding pain, she watched Barry attack Oliver faster and harder than before, finally knocking him to the ground with a punch to the jaw. He was just too fast, too angry for them to handle. But they couldn't give up.

Barry _needed_ them to keep going.

She was mildly surprised when Oliver managed to get an arrow through Barry's leg, and kept her distance as Oliver approached Barry, slowly climbing to her feet when their eyes met around him. She gave a quick nod, and planted her feet as she summoned as much cold she could manage, the energy almost rocketing from her hands as Oliver notched an arrow. Barry, consumed by his rage, barely noticed her, and despite his injuries, Oliver still managed to speak.

"I still believe in you, Barry."

 _"Go. To. Hell."_

Laura heard the screeching of tires behind her in the distance and dashed forward, as Oliver grabbed the last of Barry's punches and spun him around, locking him in a choke hold. When Barry began to vibrate to free himself, Laura ran up to him, forcing every ounce of cold she'd gathered into his body as her hands latched on to his face, even as Joe swerved the van to a stop. The side door flung open to reveal the device Dr. Wells had rigged up in the back, and the coloured lights began to flash brilliantly. As every single cell in Barry's body began to slow down, Laura could tell it was becoming painful for him, but she could also see the red in his eyes fading away slowly, and tightened her grip. Finally, after an eternity, Barry's face went slack and he let out a soft groan of pain, rubbing at his eyes when they finally released him.

"Barry? You okay?" Oliver, despite how tired he looked, sounded concerned, and Laura would have asked him the same had she any breath left in her lungs. And if her ribs didn't constrict painfully when she tried to speak.

"…this…this is going to be a special kind of hangover."

"Oh...oh, thank God." Laura managed, and stepped forward to wrap Barry up in a hug that made them both groan in pain. When she finally pulled away, practically dizzy with giddiness and relief, even Oliver was grinning.

It was certainly a sight to behold.

"It's good to have you back, Flash."

* * *

"Stop _moving_."

"Caitlin, it stings."

"Good."

Laura suppressed a sigh as Caitlin dabbed antiseptic on a large abrasion on her arm, and hissed in pain as she fought to urge to punch something, if only it would distract her from the stinging. Caitlin just muttered something under her breath about 'big goddamn heroes', and continued the laborious process of cleaning Laura up. S.T.A.R. Labs felt a bit more crowded than usual, most likely due to an extra three people joining them for the day. The rest of the team were giving their goodbyes to Oliver and the others, but Laura was forced to deal with Caitlin's wonderful bedside manner because of the many injuries she'd sustained during the fight, including a fractured rib. Barry's speed had healed him within a few hours of their encounter, and she gritted her teeth together as Caitlin swabbed a particularly bad scrape.

"Just don't do anything to make these things worse, okay? I am _not_ available for house calls."

"Yes, Dr. Snow."

Caitlin shot Laura a glare that had little anger behind it as she left the room, and Laura just getting ready to stand up when Barry and Oliver entered the room. "Hey, you guys heading out soon?"

"In a few hours – Barry, could Laura and I have some privacy?"

Confusion hit both of them like a truck, but Barry obliged the request with a questioning glance and as he joined the others in the main area of the lab, Oliver sat down on the stool across from her. It reminded her a bit of their little trip to Jitters the other day, but there was something in Oliver's eyes that told her he hadn't sent Barry away just to make small talk. Something was troubling him, and it had to do with her.

"Oliver?"

"Listen, Laura, Barry trusts you. And from what I've seen so far, I can trust you as well. But...but there is some information that makes me worry that I might be putting too much faith in you."

Oh. _Oh._

Well, she couldn't say she hadn't seen that coming, after everything she had witnessed.

"How long have you known?"

"I did some digging the night we met. I had to make sure that I knew who I was working with. That I could trust you."

"Are you going to tell my team?"

"No, that's your choice. They trust you, Laura. I don't think either of us want to see what's would happen if you betray that trust."

"I wouldn't do that to them. _Ever."_

"I know. Nevertheless, it's been good working with you."

Laura nodded and shook Oliver's hand brusquely, and watched as he left the room with the numbing realization that her secret was now known by one of the world's deadliest people. She had to hand it to Oliver, he knew how to keep his allies in check, although she couldn't be sure that's what he'd been aiming for. Still, it was relieving, somehow, to have someone else know and not react as she'd expected, even if it did endanger everything she'd worked so hard to create for herself. Feeling far more weary than before, Laura climbed down from the stool, and looked up just as Barry entered the room. He looked a bit concerned; she briefly feared that he might have overheard her conversation with Oliver, but those fears were quickly assuaged as he strode up to her.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing, really. Just congratulating me on a job well done. I think."

"Is that good?"

"I guess so. How are you doing?"

"I'm alright…I'm just glad you guys stopped me when you did. Even if you did get hurt."

"Well, I'm glad we got there in time to stop you from hurting Eddie. Or Iris." She wondered just how well the couple was managing in the aftermath of the attack. Word around the precinct was that Eddie was already not the Flash's biggest fan, but Iris…she didn't even know where to begin with that. It looked like Barry was thinking the same thing, his face clouding over as she spoke.

"Yeah; listen, Laura, I'm – I'm really sorry. About everything. I didn't listen to you guys and I almost got you killed. Oliver was right. I definitely still have a lot to learn." Laura frowned as he trailed off, his face falling further, and Barry just barely had the time to look up before she was standing in front of him. her hands clasping his shoulders tightly

"I want you to pay attention, Barry. We've both made mistakes, and we're going to make a hell of a lot more. People might think we're superheroes or whatever, but we're not invincible, and we're not any different from anybody else. We'll survive, we'll learn, and we'll move on. Because that is what people do. Got it?" She was pleased to see the solemn expression on his face change to one of amusement as she slipped on her jacket. "Now, come on. You owe me a drink."

"For what?"

"For leaving me alone with the Arrow several times in the past few days and making me fear for my life. Obviously."

"…I guess I deserve that."

"Oh, and you're buying for Caitlin and Cisco too."

"Really?"

"Learn from your mistakes, Barry."

 **And so ends the Flarrow crossover! Don't worry, I'll be posting more chapters soon!**


	14. Chapter 14: Toxic Touch

**Hello all! I just wanted to say a few things about the next two chapters: this is a two-parter and an attempt to wrap up the John Dawson storyline. I apologize in advance for any mistakes I have made because this was so emotionally draining that I just put this on the site because I couldn't proofread it. Also, if you like anything, if you hate anything, let me know!**

 **Enjoy!**

It was a quiet day when the call came in.

Laura was alone in the crime lab, the only distinguishable sound coming from the downpour outside, which had been going on for hours. She didn't really mind the semi-silence, but she'd become so accustomed to having at least _someone_ talking that she was almost tempted to talk to herself to fill the void. It had been just over a week since the Arrow - Oliver, she reminded herself - had helped them take down Roy Bivolo, who was now locked up in their basement, and Cisco had been getting a bit restless. Finally, Barry had conceded and checked in a few days off to go to Starling with Caitlin and Cisco, but since Cisco did not have one subtle bone in his body, she was fairly certain it was more than just a sight-seeing trip.

She hadn't really been as eager to go as the others, so while her friends were off gallivanting with the Arrow, she was maintaining some semblance of normality back in Central. Besides, Joe had been fairly clear that either she or Barry had to be available at all times, and with her partner gone, she was doing both of their jobs at the same time.

Luckily, any abnormal criminal activity in Central City seemed to have subsided for the time being, which made the next few days just a bit easier.

She was just finishing up a fairly simple case when her phone buzzed with an incoming text. A quick glance told her that it was Joe, and she opened it without delay. Even though she was on pretty good terms with the detective, it was clearly important to him and everyone else that she take the job seriously, and Laura had every intention of doing so.

 _Homicide at 8_ _th_ _and Farley. How soon can you get here?_

 _On my way._

Which was how, almost twenty minutes later, Laura ended up crouching over a dead body in the middle of one of Central City's many urban construction sites, in the middle of a rainstorm. Apparently, their victim had been spotted by a curious young passerby through the slats of the fencing around the site, and the news had spread like wildfire. Luckily, some officers in the area had managed to secure the scene early on, and now anybody with a camera didn't stand a chance of getting close enough to snap a photo.

The victim was lying face down in the wet dirt when she arrived, and Laura internally winced when she realized that a good degree of valuable evidence might have already been washed away. At least the police had had the mind to set up a tarp overhead; she just hoped there was at least something that would help this case, however small. As she examined the area, what piqued her interest was his suit – too nice for a vagrant, and too cheap for some of the city's wealthier citizens. Most likely middle-class, which led to the question of what he was doing in the middle of a construction site. There was nothing else of importance in the surrounding area, no matter how hard she looked, and Laura slipped on a pair of fresh gloves as she crouched down to get a better look at the body. It didn't look as if he'd been shot or hit from behind, so she gestured for the paramedics, and stood by as they rolled him on to his back.

However, when she saw the unnatural colouring of his face, Laura's heart almost skipped a few beats, though it appeared as if nobody else saw anything out of the ordinary. She quickly drowned out the hammering of her heartbeat and took a closer look, just to make sure. The victim's face was a pale shade of green, almost undetectable in the light, but it was there, and the dark green lines that spread across his face were most definitely not natural. Laura just needed to make sure of something; she slipped out a small flashlight from her kit, and shone it on the victim's face – the only uncovered part of skin besides his hands.

And there it was. A handprint, just large enough to cover the bottom face of the victim's face.

John Dawson was back.

* * *

"Let me get this straight. You're telling me our murder suspect, another metahuman who can create poison, who has been loose in this city for _three months_?"

Joe looked ready to explode as he paced the length of S.T.A.R. Labs' control room, his voice filling the space, Laura watching nervously from behind the desk while Dr. Wells worked at the consoles. When she'd told Joe about John Dawson and their first encounter back at the precinct, she could have sworn that he would go to Starling himself if it meant he could drag Barry home by his ear. Luckily, he'd calmed down just enough in the past half-hour so that she could convince him to go to S.T.A.R. Labs to update Dr. Wells, but he still looked pretty angry. Laura remained silent for a while longer until the tension in Joe's shoulders finally and slowly dissipated, bringing him down to a reasonable level of calm. When he was finally done, he turned to face both of them.

"Do we at least have a name?"

"Fortunately, yes. John Dawson: former owner of an exotic – and mostly illegal – pet store. We believe that the night the accelerator exploded, Mr. Dawson must have had some contact with a specific species of poison dart frog. We don't have a definite understanding of his abilities, but from what we understand, like Dr. Sander's own metahuman powers, they manifest from spliced DNA."

"Say that again."

"The particle accelerator's residual energy mixed parts of Anthony's poison dart frog DNA with John Dawson's DNA, which is what allows him to secrete poison."

"In other words, a hybrid."

"That...that's messed up."

"No kidding. Now, Dawson's first victim was Frank Tracy. Our newest victim is this man," Laura paused as she took a moment to scoop up one of Cisco's spare tablets, and brought up a picture of the deceased before his unfortunate demise on the main screen, "Jeffrey Hughes. I did a bit of digging and it turns out that Hughes was in the same graduating class as Dawson. Turns out he and Tracy were often reported for bullying Dawson."

"So, what? He's just picking off people who bullied him?" Laura held up a hand to gesture for patience, and brought up the next few images Dr. Wells had been able to dig up with only a few swipes.

"It's a bit more complex than that. We looked into John's past - apparently, his mother was sickly for most of his childhood, and she was on bedrest while he was in high school. John was working the graveyard shift at the neighbourhood pet store one night and he returned home to find his mother had died of heart failure in her sleep."

"Jesus."

"That's not all. Police records show that Madeline Dawson made a call that night, claiming that someone – she reported at least three people – was trying to break into her house. According to the paramedics, it looked like she'd tried to get out of bed."

"She was going to check if someone was really trying to break in."

"Exactly. There was never any actual police investigation, unfortunately, mainly due to the fact Madeline had a history of paranoia – she called the police at least sixty times that year for similar reasons and was taking medication. But, Dawson did file a report the next day, claiming that Tracy, Hughes and one other student had caused his mother's death. According to him, they were the ones who'd tried to break in."

"Does it say who the third student is?"

"…one Peter Yates. CEO of a small corporation in the business district."

"If Dawson is taking out the people he thinks killed his mother, then Yates is in danger. I'll call Eddie, and we'll go pick him up. Laura," Laura could hear the resolve in his voice affirm itself as Joe turned to face her, "you need to get back to the station."

"On it. Joe?"

"Yeah?"

"…be careful."

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _I'm telling you, I don't know what you're talking about. I've never met a John Dawson in my life."_**

 _Liar,_ Laura thought bitterly from the other side of the one-way mirror, as she watched Peter Yates turn from suave businessman into blatant liar. Her hands shook minutely the longer she stayed in the adjacent room, but she forced herself to stay and listen. She could understand what Dawson must have endured for years, watching his mother's supposed killers – they had yet to find out if there was any truth in that statement – and being unable to avenge her. A twinge of sympathy resounded throughout her chest, and Laura wondered if fate had a grudge against John Dawson. It was as if he'd never been given a chance to have a normal life.

 ** _"_** ** _Really. Because according to this file, you and Mr. Dawson went to the same school. You were in the same graduating class. Does he ring a bell now, or are you going to continue lying to me?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Listen, I didn't have time to get to know everyone in that class. Now, if you're going to ask any more questions, I'd like to speak to my lawyer."_**

On the other side of the mirror, Joe sent Yates a withering glare that had little effect on the man, and Laura could almost feel the walls shake as the door slammed behind him. Seconds later, he threw open the door to the viewing room, looking more than just a little pissed off.

"He's clamming up."

"There's no way he's not lying. He knew Dawson enough to torment him for four years straight."

"Well, there's no way to prove that. We might have to let him go."

There was no way on Earth Laura could let that happen, but there still wasn't anyway she could stop that from happening. Still, even as she followed Joe away from the interrogation room, Laura had the distinct feeling that there was another solution to their problem. A way in which John Dawson and Peter Yates would both receive the justice they deserved. Then her eyes caught sight of Captain Singh's office, the door just cracked open slightly, and the gears in her brain fired to life.

"Give me a minute, Joe. I have an idea."

* * *

"You're using me as _bait_? Are you insane?"

If Laura had the guts to punch Yates in the face, she would have. Every time she looked at him, something ugly awakened in the back of her mind, but she shoved aside the urge in favour of helping Joe and the other officers set up their equipment in the man's spacious office. The plan, as they had discussed extensively with Captain Singh, was to issue a public statement that Yates was being targeted by a potential serial killer and was under police protection at his company's building, then wait for Dawson to arrive. Though using Yates to draw Dawson in had been her idea, a small part of her didn't feel right using another human being like this. However, if she was right about how much Dawson wanted revenge for his mother's death, then this plan was going to work. As she finished with the rest of the surveillance cameras, which would be linked to one of the department's surveillance computers, Laura heard Joe approach Yates.

"Listen, Mr. Yates, I get that you don't really care what happens to Dawson, but I suggest you keep your mouth shut if you want to live through the night."

She could only imagine the indignant look on Yates' face, and suppressed a smirk as Joe made his way over to her. The look he gave her spoke volumes, and as discreetly as she could manage, Laura removed the vials of antidote to Dawson's poison Dr. Wells had so kindly drawn up from her jacket – one for every person there. As the only two people in the room who had any inkling of what Dawson was capable of, it was their responsibility to make sure everyone - including Dawson - got out of Peter Yates' office alive.

As if there wasn't enough pressure already.

Five hours later, two floors below Peter Yates' office, Laura, Joe, Eddie and the officers they'd managed to round up for the job were still empty-handed. The sun had already set over the city, filling the small office with the physically draining light of the security footage from the hidden cameras. Most of the officers had already drifted off to dreamland, which was only fair, but at least it gave her, Joe and Eddie some privacy to talk as they watched the security footage.

"I don't understand. He should have come by now."

"Give it time, Sanders. He might just be waiting until the building clears out for the night."

"We already did that for him. What could he be waiting for?"

"I don't know what to tell you. Maybe he's not as dead set on killing this guy as you thought."

Eddie did have a point. Maybe she'd overestimated Dawson's desire for revenge, if Peter Yates really was guilty of causing his mother to die. Did that mean that this had all been for nothing? No. No, she couldn't allow herself to think like that – self-doubt was one of the most fatal ways of thinking. If she had made a mistake, then Laura would face the consequences of her actions head on and do her best to move on from the repercussions.

"Wait, hold on a sec. Joe, did you see that?"

"…he's here. He's coming up the stairwell."

On second thought…

The climb up the stairs to Yates' office was torturously slow, and the Kevlar vest she wore reminded her of the severity of the situation as she followed right on the detectives' heels. A quick warning glance from Joe kept her a good distance down the hallway; she was lucky enough to be allowed to remain in the building, much less join the welcoming party. Some small part of her mind flinched at the sound of the door breaking open, a familiar feeling of panic flickering to life, but Laura extinguished it and forced herself to follow her colleagues into the room. Even from the doorway, she could still see the familiar, lanky form of John Dawson standing behind Yates, a gun pressed to the other man's head, and Laura fought down the instinct to cover her neck as the sensation of his poison burning her skin returned.

"Dawson, drop the gun!" Joe barked, but Dawson didn't appear to have heard him, his eyes trained on Yates' petrified face.

"Do you know what he's done to me?"

"I swear to God, Dawson, drop it!"

"He doesn't deserve to live! None of them did. They all had it coming."

In front of her, one officer raised his firearm just enough to hit Dawson in the head if necessary, and in that moment, Laura knew that she had to stop this. With only a moment of hesitation, she broke into a dash and pushed her way past her colleagues until she was standing in between the two parties. The harsh order from Joe for her return to safety went ignored, and Laura forced herself to look Dawson in the eyes, which still glowed as much as they had during their first encounter. However, as she looked at him, Laura was struck by the change in his appearance. During their first encounter, Dawson had been enraged and, Laura was certain, more than ready to end her and Barry's lives; now, he simply looked resigned, worn thin by years of torment and desperation. Almost as if he wasn't going to put up a fight tonight.

 _No._

It wasn't just justice John Dawson was searching for. He was looking for peace, for relief, for a way out from this nightmare that had somehow become his life. John Dawson didn't plan on living past this night, that much was clear, and Laura's heart broke at the thought, but she managed some amount of calm as she spoke to him.

"John. I know what he did to your mother - I read all the files. She died because of him, didn't she? Because of them?"

"She did."

"That's why you killed the others, isn't it? Tracy? Hughes? They were there that night, with him, trying to break in."

He was lost for words, as if nobody had ever believed him, and she had the terrible feeling that nobody had ever even bothered to _listen_. She took another step forward, ignoring the growing sense of impending danger.

"How did you find out it was them, John?"

"...they bragged about it, the next day. I heard them. Laughed about it, too."

"John, listen - I know how much it must have hurt to lose your mom. I've been to that place, and I'm still there. But this isn't how it should end for you, or for Yates. Would your mother want this for you? Would she want to see you hurt?"

Laura could see that John was wavering now, the mournful look in his bright green eyes telling her everything she needed to know.

Then Yates spoke.

"Listen, Dawson, I'm sorry. It was an accident, I swear to God. I never meant to kill your mom."

 _Nononononono-_

"It was just supposed to be a joke."

It was a desperate lie, and even John knew it.

The hesitation on his face was replaced by one of hard anger; in that second, Laura knew that there was nothing else she could do for him, that she had lost him. The green of his eyes grew brighter, almost blinding Laura before she looked away, and Laura heard a choked-off scream as she dove out of the line of fire, the sound of gunshots echoing throughout the room.

When her ears eventually stopped ringing, the room was silent. Even without looking back, Laura knew exactly what she was going to see, and the part of her that was still able to process what had happened became abruptly nauseous. So, she laid there, that small hollow space that she'd worked hard to bury since walking into the room growing exponentially larger with every passing second, until a hand came to rest on her shoulder. The look Joe gave her told her that it was all over, and she numbly accepted the hand that pulled her to her feet. Laura knew that Joe was talking, his voice low and worried, but as he led her away, supporting her weight the entire time, she couldn't find the strength to respond. Even when they finally made it outside, where the waiting paramedics looked her over and ushered her on to a stretcher, Laura didn't say a word.

The last thing she remembered before darkness came for her was her eyes closing and the world finally, _finally,_ going hauntingly quiet.


	15. Chapter 15: Saviour

Everything _ached_.

Every part of Laura felt as though she'd just gone toe to toe with a professional wrestler, which left her with a numbing ache that made even moving her eyes difficult. She hadn't been hurt during the confrontation the night before, but the doctors had assured her that while shock was physically draining, it would soon pass. Still, lying in an uncomfortable hospital bed with IVs stuck in her arms only made the whole situation worse, but at least it didn't feel like the world was suffocating her anymore. It just made it easier for her think about the things she desperately wanted to forget.

As she laid there, staring up at the blank ceiling, Laura's mind drifted towards one of those things - John Dawson. He hadn't made it, according to the news report that greeted her the first time she woke up, going down in a hailstorm of gunfire after trying to put a bullet into Peter Yates' head. The thought of meeting such a violent end made her stomach churn, and she had it turned off as soon as possible.

He'd deserved better, she thought. It seemed unfair, unjust, even, to endure so much suffering in such a short amount of time. Hopefully, it was better, wherever he was now.

The rest of the day passed by excruciatingly slowly, but as the time ticked by, Laura was relieved to feel the numbness that had settled in her chest seep away. When afternoon came and the bright light of day dimmed, someone rapped on the door, and she lifted her head just in time to see Joe peek his head inside. His face relaxed with relief when their eyes met, and she gestured for him to enter the room.

"Hey, how're you doing?"

"Bit sore, but that's about it. How's Yates?"

"Well, he's getting off scot free. I know you wanted to see him get what he deserved."

"You did too."

"Fair enough. He's not going to complain, though, so I guess that's good."

"…Joe?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we could have saved him? Dawson, I mean. Do you think he had a chance of making it? Of moving past what they did?"

"Why do you ask?"

"…because I did."

The look on his face urged her to continue, and Laura did her best to sit up, keeping her eyes on her hands. She wasn't sure she could look Joe in the eyes if she was really going to talk to him about this.

"Did I ever tell you how my mother died?"

"No."

He already knew, Laura was aware. He'd read her files, of course, but she'd never told him outright.

"I was too young to understand what exactly she was going through – I just thought she was sick, that she would get better. She never did. I still blame my father for that."

"Laura…"

"It's fine, Joe. I suppose he thought he was being discreet, but even then, I could see how he was treating her. He'd treated her badly before then, but this was just rubbing salt in the wound, you know? He would shout, he would h – what he did, it wasn't what you did to someone who was sick."

"Is that why you wanted to save Dawson?"

"I guess. I just - I know what it's like to hate someone, that much. I know what it feels like to have it swallow you whole, until it's all you have left. But I also know what it's like to have someone pull you out of that. Dawson-John never got that. It just became a part of who he was."

Until it was all that was keeping him alive.

"…he did deserve better, didn't he?"

As she contemplated his answer, Laura thought of her friends. The friends who had done so much for her when she had done so little for them. Anyone would be lucky to have them. Her eyes finally met Joe's, and she managed a small smile as her heart lightened just a tad.

"We all do."

* * *

Later that night, Laura found herself at the West house once again. The weight of all that had happened rested heavily on her shoulders, but Laura did her best to ignore it as she talked with Iris over dinner. Joe kept an eye on her, even if he thought she didn't notice, but the more she pretended everything was okay, the more she could feel that crushing weight lifting off, piece by piece. John Dawson's haunted green eyes still flashed in her mind when she closed her own, but Laura was fully aware that she couldn't leave it hanging over her head forever.

The next day, she drove to the cemetery herself. The service was small, a few family friends and distant relatives in attendance, but Laura couldn't stop herself from tearing up when she learned that he was to be buried next to his mother. Despite the sorrow that lingered in her mind the rest of the day, she forced herself back into her work, getting caught up on paperwork and doing her best to show Captain Singh and Joe that this was just a bump in the road.

She wasn't sure she was ever going to be able to forget his face, unable to close her eyes without seeing it, but she wasn't sure she wanted to forget it either.

When the others finally returned, it was late. Laura was just helping Dr. Wells close up for the night, the two of them performing the usual clean-up in silence, when Barry and the others filed into the room in a burst of noise. Some small part of her felt a little envious that the others looked so happy, but that feeling quickly died as they started to regale her with their adventures during their time in Starling City. Distracted as Cisco started to ramble on about everything he'd seen and done, Laura was caught off guard when Barry sidled up to her side, looking just a little bit concerned. She offered him a smile, but in truth, she really didn't care what he thought at the moment – she was just glad that they had all made it back home, safe and sound.

"Busy weekend?"

"You could say that."

"You want to talk about it?"

"…later. I want to hear what happens next."

And as she watched her team – her friends – smile and laugh and fill up her life again, Laura couldn't stop herself from smiling wider than she had in days. The clouds had finally parted, and to see the sun again was wonderful.

She really was lucky, wasn't she?

 **And we have come to the end of John Dawson's storyline; if you have anything you'd like to say, please leave a review and stay tuned for more chapters!**


	16. Chapter 16: The Man in the Yellow Suit

If someone were to ask Laura why she didn't celebrate Christmas, she would have been able to answer them easily. The first answer that came to mind was that it was just a holiday that had become too commercialized. Her mother had always celebrated a simpler Christmas, even if that time of the year had managed to become a sore spot. She still cherished those days, of course, and the way she saw the holidays now just reminded her of how much her life had changed. The second answer was her father. But she never really got to explain the second answer. People were usually satisfied enough with the first, and they never paid attention for too long after that anyway.

Still, having become a literal superhero, Laura was definitely feeling a lot more festive than usual, as was the rest of her team. She smiled into her scarf at the image of Cisco decking out a tree with Flash-themed ornaments. The smell of peppermint that wafted throughout S.T.A.R. Labs didn't even bother her as much as it should have, and on a whim, she'd ordered the gingerbread hot chocolate at Jitters on her way to the lab, savouring the aftertaste long after she'd finished the drink.

And, as part of her new daily routine, Laura had taken up training. Her powers had proven more than effective in combat situations, but there was always the chance that they would stop working, or that she wouldn't be able to use them in public. Neither Caitlin, nor Dr. Wells, nor Cisco, nor Barry knew how to fight, so she had taken the initiative of enrolling herself in a self-defence class run by the CCPD. It was grueling, especially since they met up three times a week, always before sunrise. Still, the more classes she attended, the more confident she felt, and everything she'd learned so far was really paying off in the field.

"That's all for today. I'll see you guys next week."

Laura let out a huge sigh of relief as the instructor dismissed them, stripping off her gear as she made her way towards the bench at the far end of the gym. However, just as she was about to down the rest of her water, her phone lit up with a text message from Joe.

 _Need you and Barry at Mercury Labs. Now._

 _On my way._

Thirty minutes later, Laura was crouched beside Barry on the floor of one of Mercury Labs' many research labs, inspecting the corpses of the two guards that had been assigned to the room as Joe directed the other officers. The place had been packed when she'd arrived, and it still was, but it was easy enough for Laura to tune out the voices of the officers and focus on the task at hand. The scene was a bit gruesome for the holiday season, with both of the guards' necks having been snapped cleanly, but the wounds themselves were enough to pique her interest.

"Blood spatter on the floor indicates high velocity impact. And look at the bodies, how they fell."

"It's almost as if they didn't fight back."

"Or they couldn't."

"Hey, Allen, Sanders; thought you guys should hear this."

Both Barry and Laura were distracted from their little one-on-one over the two corpses as Eddie approached them. There was a certain glint in his eye that she didn't quite like – almost as if he'd finally caught his white whale.

"What is it, Eddie?"

"The witness just reported seeing a _blur_ kill those two guards. Sound familiar?"

Barry and Laura shared a quick look between themselves. She could see that the new information had shocked her partner, so she gestured for him to go join Joe before turning back to the scene. Something fast, and human, if the deep purple bruises on their necks were anything to go by, had snapped the men's necks with enough force to nearly sever their heads from their spinal cords. And they had to have been fast – they stood side-by-side, as if two people had snapped their necks instead of just one.

Carefully, she grasped one of the victim's heads by the temples and moved it to the side to get a better look, but let go with a small gasp of shock as a spark of electricity snapped at her hands. Laura couldn't tell if she was seeing things, but she could have sworn that she saw a momentary flicker of red at the edge of her gloved fingertips.

"Laura, can I talk to you for a second?"

With a quick glance upwards, Laura met Joe's eyes, but she stopped short when she saw how disturbed he looked. She decided to oblige him, and abandoned the scene for the moment to stand up.

"What's up?"

"…the witness said he saw a yellow blur snap the guard's necks."

"Yeah, Eddie just told u-wait. Yellow? Like the man that killed Barry's mother?" Joe suddenly looked very uncomfortable, and he pulled her away from the rest of the officers with a furtive look.

"Exactly…and he's back in Central."

Jesus. That's why Joe looked so worried, and why Barry seemed so agitated as he hovered on the edges of the crime scene. Even from where she stood, Laura could see that Barry's mind was far from the present. He looked as if everything he'd been carrying around for years had suddenly hit him with the force of a bullet train.

"So, he's back? This man in yellow?"

"Looks like it, and knowing Barry, he's going to do everything he can to stop this guy."

"…there's something else, isn't there?" Joe hesitated, his entire body tensing up as soon as she spoke, which he tried to hide. Still, Laura could tell that there was something more.

"He came to me, about six weeks ago."

"What? Why didn't you tell anybody?"

"He threatened Iris, Laura. I couldn't risk that. He took all of the case files, everything's Barry ever worked towards to catching him."

"Okay, so what do you need me to do?"

"Keep an eye on Barry, Laura. He has a…a habit of rushing into things without thinking first. I don't want him to get hurt. Or killed."

"Of course. I'll do my best."

* * *

It turned out to be a lot harder to keep track of Barry than she thought. After meeting up with the others at S.T.A.R. Labs to discuss their next move, Barry had gone off with Dr. Wells, with a look that only solidified Joe's concerns, and her own. The scientist from the crime scene had been working on Tachyon particles, under direct orders from Dr. Christina McGee, so it was reasonable to believe that whoever this man in yellow was, he might try to get them again. So, while Barry and Wells were off to spirit away the Tachyon particles from Dr. McGee, Laura found herself helping Cisco brainstorm the trap they were going to use to trap the man in yellow. Concern for her partner still lingered, but with Dr. Wells around, the chances of Barry doing anything too rash were pretty slim.

At least she hoped that was the case.

At the moment, Cisco was poring over his tablet while Caitlin went off to do Lord's know what, a candy cane sticking out from his mouth. It was common knowledge that Cisco liked to have candy on hand while he worked, but at least he was doing so in the holiday spirit.

"Cisco?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you…do you think Caitlin's acting weird?"

"No, not really. Why?"

"It's nothing, I guess. Did you see her after she left the lab yesterday?"

"I don't think so. I know she was going to the mall to get a gift for Dr. Wells."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you know how worried she gets about him, being on his own and everything. By the way, how well do you think an electron barrier would work?"

"Cisco, my degrees are in biochemistry and microbiology. You're asking the wrong person."

"Gotcha'."

"By the way, I have to ask, what did you get Barry for Christmas?"

"Just some chocolates. Why?"

"I _might've_ forgotten to get him something." Laura knew it sounded bad, but with all of the work that had been piling up recently, she just hadn't had enough time to find Barry something. She'd even had to bring some of her unfinished paperwork to S.T.A.R. and to her apartment, which she was currently doing her best to finish on time. At least Cisco didn't seem too concerned about her dilemma.

"Come on, I'm sure you'll be able to think of something. Fair warning, Caitlin's already got the 'sentimental gift' idea locked down."

"Damn, she's good."

A comfortable silence followed soon after, interrupted only by Cisco finishing his candy cane and replacing it with a fresh one. As he worked, Laura took the time to trace patterns of frost on the desk; she'd recently found if she relaxed and let small bits of cold seep out from her fingers, they formed patterns that reminded her of snowflakes. However, after what could have been hours, the pair were alerted to Caitlin's return only by the rapid clacking of her high heels in the corridor. Laura only caught a quick glimpse of her friend before she disappeared into the room where they kept Barry's treadmill, but both she and Cisco were already on their feet. By the time they made their way inside, Caitlin was sitting on the edge of the treadmill, fidgeting with her hands in a way that told her something was wrong.

"Caitlin? What's wrong?"

It was terrifying to see how distraught Caitlin looked as she met their eyes. Laura was reminded of the expression on her friend's face when Barry had been affected by Bivolo, only this time it seemed to be more fright than sadness. There was something about the way she looked at them that let Laura know her friend had something to say.

"Caitlin, you okay?"

"Ronnie, he's – he's – Ronnie's alive."

Wait, wait, wait, wait, waitwaitwaitwait…

"What?"

I saw him, you guys, last night at the mall. I'm not sure why he was there…but I think he was following me and-"

"Caitlin." The soberness in Cisco's voice startled both them, and Laura saw the emotional turmoil that her friend was experiencing as she was forced to look up at them.

"Ronnie died," Cisco continued, "he was vaporized when the accelerator went critical."

"I know what I saw, Cisco." Caitlin's voice was sharp and cool. "He's alive, and he's out there. Alone. _Scared._ I'm not crazy, you know I'm not."

If there was one thing that Laura knew about Caitlin Snow, it was that she never made a mistake. If she said she saw Ronnie, then she had probably seen Ronnie. Or someone who looked remarkably like him, considering that Ronnie was dead. But if there was a chance that he had somehow survived death, as she and Barry had – if there was a chance for Caitlin to see him once again – Laura would do whatever it took to bring him back.

"So, why tell us?"

"…because I need your help to find him."

* * *

 _Mall at 12 tomorrow?_

 _Sure._

Ronnie was possibly alive. That was new. Cisco was still in doubt about the entire thing, even though he refused to say it out loud in front of Caitlin. Still, Laura couldn't blame him for thinking that way – she'd learned after waking up that rescue services hadn't been able to find a body after the incident. Since Ronnie had been at the center of the explosion, it was only logical to assume that he had been vaporized, but now it appeared that they had jumped to conclusions too quickly. Still, the possibility that he was alive – well, it wasn't the weirdest thing they'd seen so far, right?

With a rueful smile and a shake of her head, Laura exited the elevator, already digging her keys out of her purse. However, the moment she unlocked the door and stepped inside her apartment, the thick air of static in the room told her immediately that something was not right.

 _"D_ _octor Sanders. I've been waiting for you."_

Laura's heart seized painfully as the distorted voice clicked in her mind. Standing in the middle of her apartment, looking as if he owned the place, was the man in yellow – at least he had to be. He was vibrating himself, just like Barry did to disguise himself when out in the field, and it was hardly difficult to miss the crimson glint in the dark eyes of the blurred figure that stood before her. When she finally found the courage to speak, it took everything in her power to keep her voice from shaking.

"It's you – you killed Nora Allen."

 _"Your intelligence is not wasted on your endeavours with the Flash, I see. Close the door."_

He knew that she worked with the Flash. Wonderful. Laura obeyed his orders with shaking hands, gritting her teeth in anger as she did so, and the light from the hallway disappeared, leaving her standing face-to-face in the dark with a murderer. The red of his eyes seemed even more sinister in the dark, and sparks of red lightning danced around the edges of his form as he stepped forward. Her fingers itched to freeze him in his place, but from what she knew about him, he could move much faster than she could freeze, so she stayed put and kept her eyes on him.

"What do you want?"

 _"Nothing in particular. Just for you to stay out of my way."_

"Why? So you can kill the Flash too?"

 _"You're more powerful than you realize, Doctor. You're an unknown variable of sorts; a risk. And I don't like taking risks."_

"I'm not going to stand by and let you kill Barry. We are going to stop you."

 _"Oh, I know all about your little trap. What an admirable idea, force fields. Mr. Ramon is worth more than he thinks, but he's not that original."_

"How-"

 _"I have my methods."_

Suddenly, Laura was violently pushed up against the door, the speedster holding her there by her throat with one hand. The cry that erupted from her throat was quickly silenced with a bit of pressure, and all Laura could do was stare up at the villainous speedster in mute horror. She could feel the lightning that surrounded him crackling against her skin, and she forced herself to look him in the eye. His eyes glowed red as her vision started to darken, and Laura let out a small, choked gasp as his hand tightened, cutting off her airway further. The whole world blurred and the man in yellow laughed, but all Laura could do was look him in the eye as the world faded away.

 _"Now, don't scream."_

And as the man in yellow slammed her hard against the door, Laura did just that. The last thing she knew was a burst of pain in her head and her own voice before everything went black.

 **Hi guys! I hope you enjoy these next few chapters because we've got some big stuff coming up! I've also been thinking about setting up a prompt story, so if you have some ideas, send them in and I'll include them as best as I can.**

 **Keep on reading and leave some reviews!**


	17. Chapter 17: Running in Reverse

_"_ _Mommy?"_

 _"_ _Yes darling?"_

 _"_ _Why're - why're you crying?"_

 _"_ _Because Mommy's sad, darling."_

 _"_ _Why're you sad? It's Christmas! You...you should be happy."_

 _"_ _I am happy, sweetheart, believe me, I am."_

 _"_ _But, but you said you were sad."_

 _"_ _Well, you can be sad and happy at the same time. Remember what I told you about Grandma? How I felt when she went away?"_

 _"_ _Uh-huh. But why're you sad?"_

 _"…Mommy's sad because her little girl's growing up so fast. Because soon, my little Laura's going to have her own life. She's going to be a lady, and I'm not going to be there for her anymore."_

 _"_ _No, you're not. You're always gonna' be here. Right?"_

 _"_ _Aw, don't pout, darling. Of course, I'll still be here."_

 _"…'_ _kay."_

 _"_ _Tell you what – we still have a bit of cookie dough left. I don't think Santa will mind if we keep some for ourselves."_

 _"_ _Yeah!"_

* * *

Pain flooded Laura's senses.

She wanted nothing more than to slip back into the darkness, if only to hide from the pain. Slowly, despite the pounding in her head, Laura opened her eyes to a blurry world, but she did her best to focus until she could see clearly. The small room – small enough to be a closet – that she laid in looked exactly like the inner workings of the particle accelerator, and Laura suppressed a groan as she started to sit herself up, just noticing the handcuffs that kept her hands locked to each other. The man in yellow was nowhere to be seen, but she could only be grateful for that.

Groaning, Laura pulled as hard as she could against the handcuffs. When they didn't show any sign of giving, she tried to summon some cold, hoping that she would be able to break the cuffs once they froze. However, as soon as she felt the familiar energy building in her hands, it quickly disappeared, followed by a painful shock that made her vision white out. After a few more painful tries, Laura came to the conclusion that her cuffs were the problem. There was something strange about them, and Laura had to give her attacker some credit for being prepared. Still, she needed a way to get out, and soon.

 _"_ _Glad to see you're awake."_

Laura looked up, nearly screaming when she saw a pair of red eyes peering down at her. However, she managed to collect herself quickly, and faced the murderous speedster with a steady gaze.

"What do you want from me?"

 _"_ _I already told you. For you to stay out of my way."_

"Why not just kill me? You already killed Nora Allen. You're planning on killing the Flash What's so hard about killing one more person?"

 _"Once again, I've already told you everything you need to know. Now, hold still."_

Laura barely had any time to comprehend the order before she was being held down on the floor of the cell, her arms stretched above her head painfully and the speedster's blurred face hovering inches from hers. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him produce a needle from his suit, and watched in horror as he slid it into her forearm. Pinned down to the point of being completely immobile, Laura was unable to do anything but watch as the needle filled with her blood. When it was finally full, he pulled it out, and it disappeared, though she knew he'd merely put it away faster than she could see. A small drop of blood ran down her arm, and Laura forced herself to keep his gaze as she sat up, her tormentor already on the other side of the glass.

"What the hell did you do to me?"

 _"You weren't supposed to be here. I intend to find out why you are."_

"You're - you're insane."

 _"Perhaps, perhaps not._ _Don't worry – once the Flash is dead, you'll be free to go. I might even let you and your little friends keep his body before I head home."_

"You goddamn-"

 _"_ _It's been a pleasure, Dr. Sanders."_ And with that, Laura was alone, with only her screams to keep her company.

* * *

Laura wasn't aware how long she spent in that room, throwing herself against the glass to try and break it, and failing time and time again to break out of the cuffs. The constant shocks of electricity left her dazed every time she tried to summon enough cold to do something, which was quite infuriating when she realized that she was blacking out nearly every time. It was almost as if they'd been built for her, but she couldn't imagine who would have built it and she didn't have the time to dwell on it. Her first priority was getting out and warning the others, even though she had no idea whether any of them were still alive. But she couldn't give up.

She couldn't.

As the effects of her most recent shock faded and she could stand on her feet again, Laura faced the glass door of her cell with a murderous glare. It was the only escape route that she was aware of, but apparently it had built for tougher things than her shoulder. Or her fist.

Still, there had to something she could do.

 _Think, Sanders, think!_

As she faced the door, Laura forced her mind to become blank. There were a number of things she could do. She could wait for the man in yellow to return, but that was out of the question. She could try to summon some more cold – but she really wasn't looking forward to losing more time, or another painful shock, or both. She could slip out of the cuffs, which might not set off whatever was delivering the shocks, but they were practically hugging her wrists. There was a little space in between her wrists and the metal, and if her hands were just a little smalle-

Laura knew what to do.

She'd only done it a handful of times, when her curiosity had gotten the better of her. It had been extremely painful, and she'd sworn off ever doing it again. But the situation was dire, and she didn't have many other options. With a sigh, she sat down on the floor of the cell and braced herself as she grabbed on to her right thumb. It took a few seconds for her to steady her shaking hands, and when she was ready – oh, who was she kidding – she pulled as hard and as fast as she could.

There was a small, distinct pop, and the surge of agony in her arm left stars dancing in her vision. Laura leaned forward, gasping for breath until she had recovered enough to press her thumb closer to her wrist, which was pretty goddamn painful, and pull it out of the cuff. Putting her thumb back was easy, and the other cuff was off within minutes. When she was finally free, Laura summoned a small bit of cold, sighing in relief as she felt the swelling in her hands recede slightly.

That left the glass, but Laura already had an idea about how to make that work. Glass became more fragile, more breakable when frozen – if she could work up enough ice to freeze the entire door, then she might be able to break it. She did the best she could; the shocks from the cuffs had left her dizzy and lightheaded, but she couldn't sit and twiddle her thumbs until it was safe to proceed. When every inch of the glass was covered in frost, Laura did her damnedest to break it, but after multiple attempts, her shoulder was even sorer than before and she was having trouble seeing straight.

She was desperate. She was angry. She was terrified. When her last attempt sent her bouncing back across the cell, Laura was done. A cry of rage left her as cold flooded her senses, and she wasn't even aware of the crackling sound that filled the small space when she punched the glass head on.

 _Crack!_

Laura's heart stopped midbeat at the sound, at the sight, of the small crack. It was then that she felt her arm – somehow, it felt heavier than usual. She chanced a glance at it, and if the stakes weren't so high, Laura might have fainted. Her arm looked alien to her, now a faint white hue and almost painfully cold to the touch. Small spikes jutted out of her forearm, and as she looked closer, the part of it that had changed was almost entirely transparent. All her fingers moved normally, but looking at them move only made her stomach churn and her mind spin.

 _What's happening to me?_

If there was an answer out there, it would have to wait. Her friends needed her. Whatever had happened to her arm, it was now strong enough to break the glass.

Now, it was her way out.

The glass fell away after several more well-placed strikes, and Laura's hand thrummed heavily with energy, almost as if it were satisfied by her escape. As she brushed away the remaining shards, a few sharp edges catching on her unchanged arm, Laura wondered how she was going to explain this new side to her abilities to her team. Unless…

Laura forced herself to relax, holding out her arm in front of her as she closed her eyes, and pictured her arm as it had been before, completely normal. There was a crackling sound that seemed to go on for ages, and when it finally grew quiet, Laura opened her eyes to an arm made out of flesh and bone.

 _Holy fuck_.

There was no time to panic, no matter how much she needed it. Right now, she needed to get to her friends. As she put some distance between herself and the cell, Laura decided that she was most somewhere in S.T.A.R. Labs. She wondered briefly as she found an elevator how the man in yellow had been able to break into the building in the first place, but the thought left her mind just as quickly. When she finally reached the main floor, voices she didn't have the energy to recognize echoed throughout the halls of the building, but she ignored them and forced herself to keep moving. When she arrived, Cisco and Caitlin were hovering by the controls, and they shot to their feet as she stumbled through the doorway.

"Laura - oh my god, what happened to you?" Caitlin was by her side immediately, but Laura cut her off, despite the fact that the entire drum section of the Central City orchestra had decided to start playing in her head.

"He - he knows - he knows about the trap."

"What?"

"Where's Dr. Wells?"

Laura's question was answered as Cisco gestured behind her. On the screens, the hauntingly familiar image of the yellow speedster stood stock still in the completed trap, surrounded by Cisco's force fields. Joe and Dr. Wells were gathered in the room as well, joined by several police officers in tactical gear and Eddie.

"What's going on?"

"Apparently, that metahuman task force Eddie applied for got approved after the man in yellow showed up. Laura, who knows about the trap?"

"The – the man in yellow; he was at my apartment, locked me up in the Cortex. He knew about the force fields, Cisco."

As shock dawned on Cisco's face, Caitlin reached for the mic, but before she could turn it on, Laura saw him grow confused as the screens began to flash. "Cisco, what's wrong?"

"The super-capacitors, they're failing. The field's fluctuating. He's going to get out."

"Dr. Wells, get out of there, _now!"_ Caitlin shouted into the mic, but they only got static in return. However, the sound from the screens was still working, and the trio watched with growing horror as Dr. Wells spoke to the man in yellow.

 ** _"_** ** _The reason I know all this is because your powers are almost exactly those of the Flash."_**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm not like the Flash at all. Some would say I'm the reverse."_**

"Shit!" Cisco yelled as he shot to his feet, and Laura whirled around just in time to see the footage turn into white static. They had no way to know what was going on, and even as Caitlin continued to shout into the mic for Dr. Wells and the others to flee, Laura knew that it was far too late.

 ** _"_** ** _Cisco, turn off the barrier! He's going to kill Wells!"_**

"If I turn it off, he's going to escape."

"We've got to get down there."

 _"You're not going anywhere."_

The yellow speedster stood in the doorway, blocking their way, and Laura stepped in front of her friends. If he attacked, she was Cisco and Caitlin's best chance at surviving this, and she willed every ounce of cold in her body to her hands. Her friends stayed put behind her, which was a smart move; if they even tried to run, he would be there and back before they could blink.

 _"_ _You should have stayed down, Dr. Sanders."_

"See, that's the thing – I don't go down that easily. _Ever."_ Laura spat, and hit him with so much cold that he even stumbled a few steps back. But then he was slamming his fists into her, and then she was flying back into the wall. She heard Cisco and Caitlin cry out in shock, but she was on her feet seconds later - she couldn't stay down, no matter how many hits she took.

"Get Barry!" Was all she managed to shout before the world became one big blur. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor, the man in yellow's hand crushing her windpipe and his eyes glinting with something more sinister than just red electricity.

As spots danced in front of her eyes, Laura saw something in those of the man crushing her windpipe. Something primal, something fierce, something so dark and dangerous that it sent shivers down her spine. He was a predator, and she was his prey.

And he had absolutely nothing to lose.

 _"_ _You've been an excellent opponent. But I have bigger fish to fry."_

Out of the corner of her eye, Laura caught a glimpse of red and yellow approaching, and her would-be-killer disappeared with his reverse in a gust of wind. She sat up, gasping for breath, but when Caitlin and Cisco rushed to her side, she brushed them off. This speedster had no qualms about killing; if Barry needed their help, they needed to be ready to give it.

Together, they burst out into the building's parking lot, just in time to see twin streaks of lightning, one red and one yellow, burst up through a portion of glass roof, twisting in a macabre dance, before rapidly descending back towards the concrete. Laura watched, horrified, as Barry was slammed first into the concrete then into a nearby truck, and kept her eyes on the fight even as her hands started to grow cold.

"Get away from him!" Laura screamed. She knew it was a risky move the moment she saw the man in yellow turn around, and he became nothing but a streak as he moved towards them. On instinct, she whipped her right arm towards him, and watched, transfixed, as a razor-sharp icicle as long as her arm flew straight at him in a burst of white light. He staggered a bit as it collided with his shoulder, giving Barry just enough time to gather his wits and rush at him. His victory was short-lived, however, and Laura felt her heart seize as the man in yellow quickly overwhelmed Barry. Fists flew at her partner faster than she could see and he fell silent as he was slammed into the pavement, until finally, the yellow speedster pulled him close and ripped back his cowl. He was limp and struggling to keep his eyes open, and Laura suddenly felt very helpless.

However, just as the man in yellow moved in for his final blow, a blast of fire that made her flinch sent him flying backwards. As the flames dissipated, Laura looked to see who exactly had stepped in, and felt her jaw drop at the sight of Ronnie Raymond, his hands and head alight with flames.

Huh.

However, her attention turned back to the yellow speedster as he climbed to his feet, his crimson eyes focused entirely on Barry.

 _"You've won this round, but this isn't over_ _. See you soon, Flash"_ And then he was gone, in a streak of red lightning. There was a brief pause before Laura rushed to Barry's side, followed closely by Cisco. Her partner looked awful, and there was a look of defeat in his eyes that made her sick. Still, he looked relieved as his eyes looked up at her, and a tired smile broke out on his battered face.

"You're - you're okay?" She was helpless to bite back a watery laugh as she nodded, and wrapped one arm around him as Cisco took his hands, pulling him to his feet. However, as they did so, a burst of heat caught Laura's attention. When she turned to get a look, Ronnie was surrounded by flames once more, and she watched with a strange sense of awe as he lifted off from the ground, his flames leaving trails of smoke behind him as he sailed off into the night. Caitlin continued to stare at the sky long after he was gone, and with assurances from Cisco that he would take care of Barry, Laura joined her friend.

"He's...alive."

"You were right, Caitlin."

"He doesn't want me to look for him - god, I don't know what to do."

"…he's out there somewhere, Cait. We're going to bring him home. I promise."

Caitlin didn't respond, but as they watched the smoke trails slowly fade away in the night sky, Laura knew that the man in yellow was right. Whatever war they were fighting against him, whatever race they were running – it was far from over.

But they had won this battle.

At least, she hoped they had.

 **Reviews are loved!**


	18. Chapter 18: White Christmas

Honestly, Laura wasn't exactly looking forward to Christmas.

After the chaos the man in yellow had wrecked, she would have very much preferred to sit at home alone, listening to some non-festive music while enjoying several glasses of fine wine. had decided to stay home after almost being beaten to death by their newest adversary, and Laura could relate - she was almost ashamed to admit that every time she came home, she found herself checking and double-checking the locks.

There was also the change in her abilities that she had to deal with. Despite Ronnie's reappearance, Caitlin seemed to be looking forward to performing tests on her in the next few weeks, which only assuaged Laura's concerns for her friend somewhat. However, Laura had yet to inform the others about the more significant change in her powers. Some part of her wasn't just ready for that to come out yet, at least until she had it figured out.

Still, despite her reluctance to celebrate considering the current circumstances, when Joe had pulled her aside earlier that day to invite her to their holiday party, she hadn't been able to refuse. The look on Barry's face as she'd headed home to clean up told her that he would need the holiday spirit, and after that it had been settled. Which meant not only was she spending Christmas Eve with other people, but also that she needed presents.

The door swung open a few seconds after she knocked, and Laura smiled when she saw Barry standing in the doorway. He looked a little worse for wear, but she knew that she probably didn't look much better. Underneath her sweater was more than a few injuries her cold hadn't been able to heal, but at least the bruises around her throat had faded.

"Sorry I'm late."

"It's no big deal. Come on, I'll get you some of Grandma Esther's eggnog."

Laura gave Barry a grateful look as she hung her coat on the rack near the door, and greeted the others, who were milling about the living room. Eddie and Iris were cuddled upon on the loveseat, while Caitlin scolded Cisco for sprawling out on the couch – looking a little spaced out but nonetheless happy. Something about the way Iris's eyes followed Barry as he strode toward the kitchen made her do a double take, but she didn't want to pry. The fireplace had been lit, the house smelling like pine and peppermint, and she settled herself on the far end of the couch at Cisco's feet just as Barry returned with a mug of eggnog.

"We were wondering if you would make it." Cisco's grin was contagious, and the soft holiday music mixed with the hearty smell of pine and peppermint left her smiling as well. She almost choked on the eggnog at the heavy taste of bourbon, but after a few moderate sips, she found it tolerable.

"I wouldn't miss this. Oh, that reminds me, I got you guys something."

"You didn't have to." Barry sounded as if he genuinely believed it, and she sobered a bit before she smiled at him.

"Hey. If I want to get you guys gifts, I will do so, and you will enjoy it." Laura sniped at him as she reached into her purse, pulling out each of their presents one-by-one. Cisco's grin grew wider – if that was even possible – when he saw the set of lollipops she'd gotten him, each with the image of a planet inside of them. Caitlin's face softened at the sight of the light blue teardrop charm on a silver chain, but Laura couldn't blame her for being a bit more subdued than usual. Barry, however, looked even less enthusiastic than Caitlin as he stared down at his gift, and while Cisco helped Caitlin put on the bracelet, Laura made her way over to her partner.

"Is it alright?"

"It's great, really." It was an old fantasy book, from some obscure series that she'd only heard of in passing. "How…how did you know?"

"Joe told me you loved these when you were a kid."

"...yeah, I did. Thanks, Laura." Still, Laura could tell that something was bothering Barry. But she wouldn't press – at least not until he was ready.

Half an hour later, Laura was looking down at the Wests' backyard as she nursed her second cup of Grandma Esther's 'light' eggnog, the chatter of the rest of the party drifting out into the night. The yard was once again lit up, and Laura found herself smiling at the sight for the first time, savouring the warm glow. However, she soon found herself joined by Barry, carrying his own cup of eggnog, and they stood there for a while, simply basking in the silence.

"Something on your mind?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You're only this quiet when something's bothering you. What's going on, Barry?"

Almost immediately, Barry's face clouded over, and Laura watched him carefully as he sat down on the steps that led down into the yard. A twinge of sympathy hit her right in the heart, and Laura sat down beside him, setting her cup aside. He looked adrift, a feeling she had once known all too well, and far too many times. But that only meant that she knew how to get through to him. "Talk to me, Barry."

" _He got away,_ Laura. He was right there and I let him get away. You and everybody else got hurt because I couldn't stop him. I - I failed again" Laura would be lying if the way his voice cracked didn't break her heart. She hesitated as she reached for his hand, the memories of harsh crackling still fresh in her mind. What would he think of her if she told him about the way her body became something entirely inhuman? What would he say? With a sharp shake of her head, she buried those thoughts. Slowly, she reached down and rested one of her hands over his, just lightly enough to show him that she was still there.

"Did I ever tell you about what my mom was like?"

"No."

"I think your mom would have liked mine."

"Really?"

"Yeah - Barry, you know what she told me once?"

"What?"

"She told me no matter what happened to me, no matter what path I chose, no matter who I became, she would always be proud of me. Listen, I know you're disappointed in yourself, Barry. I know how much it makes you angry that he's still out there. But you haven't failed anybody, Barry. You've _survived_. Whatever that man tried to do to you all those years ago, whatever he was trying to prove, you prove him wrong every day by living. I don't know _any_ parent who wouldn't be proud of their children for that."

When Laura was finished, Barry remained silent, but, eventually, he raised his head to meet her gaze. There was an imperceptible flicker in his eyes and in his face, almost resembling a smile, and he nodded, before speaking, his voice cracking slightly with emotion. "You sound so much like Joe."

"I hope that's a good thing."

"Trust me. It's definitely a good thing."

"If I didn't love science so much, I would have become a therapist." Laura smiled as Barry chuckled, and for the first time that day, Laura's heart felt just a tad bit lighter. Suddenly, he pulled his hand away, startling her, and Laura watched as he produced a small holiday themed gift bag from literally nowhere.

"Listen, I know it's not much…but I saw it and I thought you'd like it." Laura smiled as she lifted out the gift from the bag, the mug resting solidly in her palm. It was elegant and well-crafted, with a dark blue base and silver snowflakes decorating the entire thing. She realized, suddenly, that he must have picked it out just for her, and the thought made her smile grow even more.

"Thanks, Barry."

"No problem."

They lapsed into silence once more, but as they sat there, soaking in the warm glow from the lights, an idea came to Laura.

"Do you think we could use some snow?"

"Why - what are you thinking?"

Smiling secretively, Laura stood up and made her way down the stairs, setting her gift aside. Barry watched her curiously as she summoned a decent amount of cold before she thrust her hand up at the sky, the energy leaving her hand in a stream of white light. She watched as it traveled up higher and higher into the thick blanket of dark clouds, until it disappeared from view. Barry watched as well, and his face broke into an awed look as the clouds above the city suddenly grew just a tad lighter. A few seconds passed before the first snowflake fell down past their noses, and as snow started to fall all around the pair, shouts from within the house told them that everybody else had noticed as well. Soon, everyone was gathered on the back porch, relishing in the first white Christmas in Central City in years. While the others watched the snow fall, Laura snuck a glance up at her partner, who looked as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders, his eyes alight with joy.

"Merry Christmas, Barry."

"Merry Christmas, Laura."

And as she stood there among friends, watching as snow fell on the city, Laura felt at peace.

Maybe this life wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

 ** _"Good evening, Dr. Wells."_**

"Gideon, have you already deconstructed the restraints?"

 _ **"Yes, Doctor. Shall I construct another pair?"**_

"No, no that won't be necessary. Actually, keep a blueprint of the schematics on backup; they might come in handy."

 ** _"Of course, Doctor. Is there anything else I can do for you?"_**

"...run a complete search of historical records. Look for all references to 'Frostbite' and Laura Sanders."

 ** _"_** ** _No results, Doctor."_**

"That's not possible. Search again."

 ** _"_** ** _I have completed multiple searches. There are zero references of 'Frostbite' or Laura Sanders anywhere within the historical record."_**

"Try harder, you useless machine!"

 ** _"…_** ** _as you wish, Dr. Wells."_**

"Who are you _,_ Laura Sanders?"

* * *

 _Who are you?_


	19. Chapter 19: A Blast from the Past

"Now, Cisco, remember - no lasers."

"Aw man, I never get to use my lasers."

"And if you think hard enough, I'm sure you'll find that there's a valid reason for that."

Laura smirked despite the dirty look Cisco gave her. Ferris Air's abandoned airfield had become their regular training ground in the past few months, and now that the holidays were over, it was back to the grind. Both she and Cisco watched Barry send the missile one of his drones had fired flying right back at it, the force of the explosion making them cringe a bit. Cisco seemed especially upset, but probably only because another one of his carefully crafted drones had bitten the dust. His expression changed to one of indignation and he stalked away, mumbling under his breath that probably wasn't very flattering towards Barry.

"Nice job, Flash."

"Thanks. Cisco, did you have to cut it so close on that last one?"

"Well, I didn't see you doing anything to not destroy it." The two of them just shared a grin at the unbridled annoyance in Cisco's voice as Laura slipped on her jacket and pulled on her goggles. While it was easier to test Barry's speed by just shooting missiles at him, Cisco had had to rig up something else for her to test her abilities. Two ground drones, both armed to the teeth with paintball bullets that left bruises for days. A real challenge, sure – but hey, at least they weren't missiles.

As the drones began shooting at her, Laura froze the first wave of bullets with a wave of her hand. She'd learned that if she moved her hand while sending out a blast of cold, it could cover a whole lot more area. The bullets fell to the ground, but they were quickly replaced by another wave. Laura ducked behind a cluster of barrels as the drones aimed at her, and she winced as she heard the bullets strike the barrels. Cisco really had amped up the danger on this one. But Laura had just the trick. With a grimace, she planted her hand on the rough asphalt and let a layer of ice form across the strip, just enough that she could slide one of the barrels out in the line of fire. Bullets battered the plastic, and Laura took the opportunity to blast two beams of cold at both drones while they were preoccupied. It took a few seconds, but they eventually stopped moving altogether, and Laura stood up, giving Cisco a thumbs up.

"See, this is how you treat someone's babies. I mean, you could have held back on the frost a little bit, but at least you didn't _blow them up_." He sent Barry a dirty glare as he spoke, but there was little venom behind his words as she approached the trailer.

"Well, excuse me if I didn't want to end up splattered with paint. But, if it makes you feel any better, I'll help you fix them later." Laura offered, and the annoyance on his face faded minutely. Cisco was always sensitive about the machines he built, calling them his babies on occasion if he thought he was alone, and when it came down to it, he really did cherish his creations. Laura slid her goggles down around her neck as she made her way over to Barry, who had just started on a large pile of Big Belly Burger. When she shot him her own dirty look, he simply smiled up at her with mock innocence, as if he didn't know how much she hated his ability to not gain a single pound of fat. She noticed that Dr. Wells was looking at her in an appraising manner.

"Very impressive, Dr. Sanders. You're certainly getting more creative in your abilities."

"Won't be very effective against the Reverse Flash."

"Cisco, again with the names?" Cisco looked a bit taken aback, but he quickly recovered.

"Hey, he said it, not me. Besides: yellow suit, red lightning, evil? It makes sense if you think about it."

"Actually, I kind of like it." The amusement in Dr. Wells' voice shocked Laura, and Cisco looked a little too pleased with himself. There was something in his expression that almost had her doing a double take, but she ignored it as Barry finished his lunch.

"Well, I'm still up for another round. Cisco, how many drones you got left?"

"Two. And, they've got lasers."

"Cisco _, no_."

* * *

Hours later, Laura was crouched on the floor of Cisco's workshop at S.T.A.R., replacing the plating on his precious drones as he tinkered with something she didn't quite recognize. She didn't mind helping him out, especially since she'd be the one to damage the machines in the first place. When she was done, she snuck a glance to see what Cisco was working on, and was mildly surprised to see that it was an earpiece.

"Is that for me?"

"Yeah. You don't wear a suit like Barry does, so I thought I might be a good idea to attach one to your goggles, especially since you keep losing them." Laura shrugged a sheepish apology and stood up to get a better look at the earpiece as Cisco leant back, examining it closely. It matched the rest of her gear, and she tugged her goggles out of her bag before tossing them to Cisco. However, he paused as he looked at the goggles, and twisted it around in his hand as his signature thinking face slid on.

"Cisco?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking. Are you going to need these for a while?"

"Probably. Why?"

"I have an idea."

Cisco's ideas weren't usually that bad, so Laura nodded and left the room; whenever his thinking face came out it was always a good idea to leave him alone to work, otherwise you'd end up talking to yourself. Luckily, Cisco had a couple of spare goggles for emergency purposes, so she wouldn't have to worry about going into the field with her identity out in the open. In the main room, Barry was making some headway on one of the protein bars Caitlin and Cisco had engineered for him; Laura had learned that if Barry went too long without food, he just collapsed. That was one thing their team didn't need when fighting crime, and she knew for a fact that her partner would not appreciate extreme road rash.

"Hey, you got any plans this weekend?"

"Not really. I was thinking of trying out this new Japanese restaurant that opened up near my place. I heard they do a really good curry."

"You know, it's kind of ironic that the girl with ice powers would like spicy food."

"Says the man with super-speed who somehow manages to show up late for work every day."

 _"Hey!"_ Laura failed to fight back a chuckle as Barry petulantly scarfed down the rest of his bar, and she was just about to tease him further when her phone vibrated. A second later, Barry's phone did the same.

"Looks like we've got some work to do."

Lo and behold, barely an hour later, Barry and Laura were walking into a warehouse on the city outskirts, Joe waiting for them inside. The warehouse was apparently the current home to a couple dozen rare antique cars that were meant to be for a car show, but the moment she walked in, Laura could tell that something was off. None of the cars were missing, and judging by how expensive some of them looked, she was pretty sure that even she would have been tempted. There were two entrances into the warehouse, at either end of the building, but the door they were more worried about had been shattered into pieces by whatever had slammed into it, and apparently through it as well, judging by the skid marks inside. They went to work immediately, until Joe and Eddie walked over, the former looking more than a bit agitated.

"Owner says that there was nothing taken. Have you guys found anything?"

"Well, the breakage and the bending of the metal indicates that it had zero viscoelasticity when it hit the ground."

"In English?" Laura took the lead.

"It shattered, like glass. Usually, metal bends when it's hit by something, if there's enough weight and velocity behind whatever's doing the damage. Glass doesn't bend when you break it. It just…well, it shatters."

Joe huffed out an exasperated sigh and shook his head, but as he did, something among the shattered pieces of steel they'd gathered caught her eye, and with a furrowed brow, she fished it out. It was a small piece, almost too small to be anything significant, but as Laura looked closer, she could see the faint traces of frost lingering on the metal. Quickly, she nudged Barry to grab his attention, and handed him the metal, taking care to make sure that he didn't touch the area of interest. "You see it?"

"Yeah."

"What? What is it?"

"The metal's frosted over. Joe, the door was frozen."

 _"Snart."_ The word came out of Joe's mouth like poison, and for one second, Laura felt as if someone had walked over her grave. She quickly shook off the unnerving feeling as she and Barry stood, and as Eddie left, following Joe's orders to put an APB out on their suspects, she joined both Barry and Joe in the corner, away from prying ears.

"Snart definitely wasn't here to steal anything, or this place would be empty."

"You're right. He must have been setting a trap."

"For Barry?"

"Yeah. Well, not actually for me-"

"Yeah, we get it – listen, you two need to head back to the precinct, but get to S.T.A.R. Labs as soon as you can. I'm going to see if we can do anything to find this bastard." As Joe stalked away with determination that left her in a state of awe, Laura turned towards Barry, mulling over the turmoil of thoughts inside of her brain.

Snart was in Central City. He was back and he was active, which was a bit of surprise. Since she'd discovered his return, there had been little to no noise from him – Joe had kept her notified of any activity since she'd started working at the lab. Now, it seemed that he was finally stepping out from the shadows, and had his sights set on Barry, for whatever twisted reason.

"Barry, what...what does Snart want with you?"

It took a few moments for her to get an answer as Barry looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"I – honestly, I don't know. The last time we faced off, he beat me and got away with the cold gun. I honestly didn't think he'd come back after that. I guess I was wrong."

"So, Snart, the one man in this city with a weapon that could kill you, is active again, and it looks like he's setting traps to try and kill you. Again."

"Yup."

Crap.

* * *

"So, Captain Cold is back." Once they'd made it back to S.T.A.R. Labs, Laura and Barry had caught everyone up to speed. Cisco, out all of them, looked the most rattled; his hands were flying everywhere as he fidgeted with a small piece of machinery, and Laura had to resist the urge to sedate him just to get him to calm down.

"For someone without metahuman powers, Leonard Snart is proving to be quite the nemesis." Dr. Wells seemed a bit lost in thought, and Laura wished she were able to do the same.

"What do you think he wants this time?"

"We think it's the Flash. He didn't steal anything tonight when millions of dollars were sitting right under his nose, and that's not Snart's MO. He probably broke into the warehouse to get me to show up."

"Are you going to go after him?"

"Hey, if he wants a fight, I'll give him one."

"Barry, Laura, if I may?" Laura was caught off guard by the uneasiness of Dr. Wells' voice, almost as if he wanted to argue with Barry's statement. And by the look on his face, she had guessed right. With a look shared between all three of them, Laura and Barry followed Dr. Wells into the hallway, until they were out of hearing range of Cisco and Caitlin. When they finally came to a stop, pinned by Dr. Wells' hard stare, Barry was the first to speak.

"You don't think I should fight Snart."

"Barry, as fast as you are, you can't be everywhere at once. That's fine on a normal basis; but now, it's a question of priorities. This past month, both you and Laura have been working towards getting faster, stronger – and it's been working. Both of you are the best you've ever been, but there's still so much you need to do."

"I can't just ignore Snart. He's got blood on his hands. What if he kills again?"

Laura's heart stopped beating for a second as she processed those words. That was one thing she'd had a hard time avoiding thinking about since she'd first looked at his files – Snart had killed. He had killed a man in cold blood during his and Barry's initial encounter, and by the sounds of it, it hadn't been the first time he'd done so. The thought made her stomach churn, and she fought hard to distract herself by focusing on the present.

"The last time you fought with Snart, a train derailed. You were lucky enough to get all those people to safety. This time, you may not be so lucky. If you don't give him that fight, if you don't give him that chance to do harm…"

"…he may just back off. And there won't be any casualties." _Not like the last time_ , went unsaid. The tension Barry had carried about since the day started seemed to leave him then, and Laura watched carefully as his shoulders slumped and his gaze became distant, his tone quiet and resigned. She could tell that he was weighing his options, and by the sound of it, the 'don't fight and don't have people die' side of him was winning.

"Laura? What do you think?' Laura was a bit startled at the mention of her name, but she quickly came back to reality as Barry's gaze focused on her. She could sympathize with her partner's urge to simply end Snart's reign of terror. But he hesitated; he was unsure, and he had a good reason to be, considering what was at stake. It took a few seconds for her to collect her thoughts.

"From what I've heard, Snart's dangerous; he's willing to kill anybody who gets in his way to get what he wants. But, the Reverse Flash – Barry, I'm honestly terrified of what might happen if he comes back. Whatever you choose, I'll support you. I'm just not sure Snart's worth your time right now." She spoke truthfully, meeting his eyes and she prayed silently that he didn't see the other side to her argument beneath.

"She's right. The Reverse Flash poses a greater threat to all of us, Barry, to this city. The police will take care of Snart. We'll make sure of that."

"…alright. You're right. I won't do it; I won't fight him."

"Good. Cisco and I will head to the station in the morning to do what we can to help. In the meantime, you two should get some rest." And with that, Barry and Laura were alone, the faint sound of Dr. Wells' wheelchair fading into silence as he moved further away from them. As they re-entered the room, Barry's eyes drifted towards the suit, resting in the mannequin Cisco had rigged up, and Laura could tell that he felt torn. It was his nature to end fights, to see things got done and make sure that no one got hurt. Even to her, it felt wrong to let the police handle Snart, when they could take care of him in seconds, and with far less chance of collateral damage. But there was a part of her that wanted to defeat the Reverse Flash more than she wanted Snart behind bars, no matter how many innocent lives he'd taken, or how many more he'd take.

Still, Laura couldn't help but wonder if they had made the right decision.

* * *

The next day was like watching a C-list movie - or at least acting in one.

Since Cisco had designed Snart's weapon in the first place, he had reasoned that it was only natural that he devised a way to stop him. While Cisco had honestly tried his best to convince the precinct that the protective shield he'd created would be useful against Snart's cold gun, or at least a lesser version of it, there had been little enthusiasm or support from her gun-toting colleagues, and she felt a pang of sympathy for him as they snickered at him. Captain Singh even had the nerve to imply that they didn't need his help, but she could tell he was only worried for the safety of his officers. Granted, the accelerator exploding had caused a lot of pain in the city, and from what she could see there were still a lot of resentment hiding beneath the surface.

"Well, that went great." Cisco muttered to himself as he packed up 'Cold Gun 0.5', as he had nicknamed it, and Laura frowned at the amount of self-deprecation she heard in his voice as she joined him.

"Don't listen to them, Cisco. You did fine."

"I know – it's just – they have a good reason not to trust me, Laura. I created that cold gun in the first place. I'm the reason Snart's hurt all those people." He looked sick and irritated and utterly defeated, which was honestly an expression she wouldn't mind locking away from the world and erasing from her mind for the rest of eternity. With a sigh, Laura turned him around to face her, despite the stormy look on his face.

"Cisco, whatever happens because of your inventions is not your fault, no matter what anybody else says. Think about it: Snart would've probably kept hurting people even if he didn't have the cold gun. You aren't the bad guy here, Snart is. And anyone who thinks otherwise is an utter moron – got it?"

"…you're really good at this stuff." Cisco mumbled after several long moments, and Laura smiled as the edge of his mouth quirked up, his hand swiping at his eyes. When he pulled away to pack up the gun and the shield, Laura's mind started to wander down a different path as she watched him. Cisco had done so much for her, and for Barry as well. He'd looked after her during her coma; he'd done his best to befriend her despite their distance before the accelerator exploded, and he still managed to find the strength to smile, even after being beaten down by the very people he was trying to help. Maybe – maybe she could trust him. Maybe she could tell him her secret. Maybe he would understand.

Or maybe not.

* * *

When the call came in later that night, Laura was sitting in her living room, watching the local news as she cleaned up some of the leftovers in her fridge. Less than fifteen minutes later, she charged into the police station, abuzz with activity, police officers milling about with dark, murderous looks that made her hesitate, even if for just a second, to enter. From the chatter that was travelling through the room, Snart had struck again, and apparently, this time he'd had a partner with him. Some of the officers' uniforms and vests were charred by what she could only assume was fire, and she quickly found Barry in the crowd, who was conversing with Joe away from the others.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?"

"Not exactly. Snart's stepped up his game. His new partner's got a handheld flamethrower of some kind. Cisco's shields helped, but we've got two officers holed up in the burn unit. There's no telling if they're going to make it." Laura felt her stomach drop to her feet, and she could see the guilt as clear as day on Barry's face, knowing that he was blaming himself for allowing for this to happen. The expression made her want to comfort him, but she held back for the moment. She felt guilty too, that she hadn't realized how ruthless Snart had become, that she hadn't pushed for Barry to just end it. As Joe left to talk to the rest of the officers, Laura turned to Barry, who looked as if he had aged decades in the span of a single night.

"Barry-"

"I let this happen. I should have just taken him down."

"None of this is your fault. You didn't know."

"But I-"

" _You didn't know_. You didn't know Snart was willing to go to such extremes. We can fix this. We can make sure they don't hurt anyone else. Okay?" As she spoke, Laura was encouraged by the change of Barry's expression, and by the time she stopped, he looked more determined than she had ever seen him.

"You're right. We have to end this."

"Then let's."

* * *

Laura was absolutely exhausted. After finalizing her plans to meet up with Barry at S.T.A.R. the next morning to begin their pursuit of Snart and his partner, she had hailed a cab home. Snart was out there in the city, and he was a viable threat, especially with this new 'partner' by his side; if by chance he recognized her, if he still remembered her, she didn't want to be anywhere near either of them. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she knew that mulling over it endlessly wasn't going to do any good. She stuffed away her gear in her bedroom closet and brushed her teeth a few times, rinsing her mouth endlessly with the alcohol-heavy mouthwash to get the sour taste out of her mouth, but as she was starting to change into her night clothes, her phone rang. A quick look told her it was Caitlin, and she answered it without a second thought.

"Caitlin? What's up?"

"Laura, I think I've found a way to find Ronnie. Can you meet me down at Jitters?"

"Wait, really? How?"

"I shouldn't tell you over the phone. How soon can you get here?"

"Give me half an hour."

Almost fifteen minutes later, as she approached Jitters from the front, Laura could already see that the store was shut down for the night, one unfortunate employee lingering inside to clean up. Caitlin was nowhere in sight, but there was a parking lot for customers behind the building. She made her way there as quickly as she could, and it wasn't that hard to locate Caitlin's car among the few still parked. However, as she got closer to the vehicle, Laura was shocked to see that the entire left side of the car was frozen over. The realization of what had happened dawned on her just as her heart dropped down into her stomach.

"Caitlin?"

Laura regretted calling out immediately, as something moved behind her, and she spun around, cold just barely starting to gather in her hands to defend herself. However, when she saw the bruise on Caitlin's face, the fear in her friend's eyes, and the two weapons aimed at her on either side of Caitlin, every ounce of fight she had in her disappeared.

"Dr. Sanders, I hear you're close with the Flash." Said the man in the blue parka, sporting a smile that she knew all too well.

"Let's talk."

 **I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I know a lot of you have been excited to see Captain Cold. Fair warning, we're not going to get some serious insight into the relationship between Snart and Laura until 1x16: Rogue Time, so please be patient and keep reading!**

 **Reviews are loved!**


	20. Chapter 20: The Rogues

_"Where're you going?"_

 _"…just down to the store. We're getting low on a couple of things."_

 _"Can I come too?"_

 _"'Fraid not, kiddo. You've still got homework to do."_

* * *

 _"And you just let them leave?"_

 _"Daddy, stop shouting!"_

 _"Shut up! You're worthless, all of you!"_

 _"Daddy, **please**!"_

* * *

 _Why did you leave me?_

* * *

Laura awoke to a pounding head and the feeling that her head was stuffed with cotton balls. She briefly panicked when she found her hands handcuffed behind her and even more so when she opened her eyes to darkness. She was lying on her side, the cuffs digging painfully into her wrists, and wherever she was, it smelled of gasoline. However, as she shifted to get comfortable, there was a small, pained groan from beside her, and Laura rolled over on to her side to see someone lying next to her. Her head hurt as she squinted to get a better look, and Laura's heart faltered when she recognized the person.

"Caitlin? Caitlin, are you okay?"

"Laur-Laura?" As her friend stumbled over her words, Laura remembered exactly how she'd ended up in this situation. Seeing Caitlin and the two men – Snart and his partner, she thought now – waiting for her at the parking lot with their weapons pointed straight at her. Being marched out to their van on the edge of the lot and forced to let herself be restrained. Then, a cloth over her face, and nothing more.

"Are you hurt?"

"N-no. They want to kill the Flash, Laura." Caitlin sounded terrified, and Laura's eyes widened. That wasn't good. She'd assumed they were just looking to show him up, something petty, but killing the Flash? Killing Barry? That was a step too far, even for Snart. She was about to reply when the doors of the van swung open, flooding the compartment with dim light and forcing her to squint to avoid being blinded.

"Glad to see you two are awake. It would be a shame to go to all this trouble if we had to rough you up a bit." A familiar voice filled her senses, and Laura was dragged from the van by a man who smelled of nothing but grease, gas and smoke. She was almost tempted to freeze him where he stood until she saw Snart, moonlight glinting off of the goggles he wore, pull Caitlin out as well, digging his cold gun into her jaw with enough force to bruise. She didn't want to risk getting Caitlin hurt, not like this, so she simply struggled like any sane woman would, even as the man holding her dragged her through the warehouse the van was parked in. It was still dark outside, which meant that in the time that they had been kidnapped, not much time had passed. She wondered if anybody had reported them missing yet.

In the far corner of the warehouse, Laura and Caitlin were forced to stand by and watch as their captors busied themselves with what she hoped was a video camera. As they watched, Laura took the opportunity to evaluate their options, despite the hammering of her heart inside of her chest and whatever drugs they'd used on her keeping her from thinking too hard. Her powers were still available to her, even with the handcuffs on, but both men were armed and if she fought, there was a chance Caitlin could get hurt. Or she could play the victim and keep her friend safe. Judging by the slightly crazed look in Snart's partner's eyes, his fingers twitching minutely against the trigger, the latter was probably the best way to go. She still found it hard to believe that he hadn't recognized her, but then again, they hadn't been this close to each other in over twelve years.

"What do you want from us?" Caitlin blurted out, and Laura grimaced as Snart stalked over to them, his mouth drawing into a tight smile.

"The Flash. You both work for him, don't you?" It appeared that Caitlin hadn't told him about Frostbite, or he was just completely clueless that there were now two metahuman heroes running around Central instead of one. That was good; that meant that they had some advantage over their captors.

"What makes you think he'll come for us?" Laura retorted, and she suddenly found the tip of the cold gun being pressed to her temple. She didn't know much about the gun itself, only that it operated at around absolute zero – the coldest temperature possible. She could feel the bite of the bitter cold against her bare skin, making her wince in pain, but he held it there long enough for her body to adjust, and within seconds, the cold meant nothing to her. Laura wondered briefly just how far her internal temperature had dropped to make absolute zero feel like nothing.

"I've tangled with the Flash before. He's not one to let two innocent women die because of him. Now, shut your mouth and you might be able to save a few of your fingers."

Laura didn't respond, choosing instead to swallow the vile words meant specifically for him and glared at Snart with everything she had; he simply smirked, returning to his partner's side seconds later. However, beneath the rage, Laura was relieved – he'd been mere inches from her and he hadn't visibly recognized her, which meant that her secret was still safe. She let out a shaky breath as he left them and turned towards Caitlin, who looked just as rattled, possibly even more. Finally, Caitlin spoke to her, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry, Laura. They asked about Cisco and I thought that you'd be okay…I'm so sorry…"

"Hey, hey, don't apologize. We're going to get out of this, I promise." Caitlin looked a bit doubtful as Laura whispered back, but she didn't get the chance to respond as Snart and his partner sauntered up to them. They both sported predatory grins, and Laura couldn't suppress a shiver before she was tugged away from Caitlin by the other man. She struggled against him as best as she could, but he merely tugged her against him and growled in her ear. Snart really knew how to pick his partners, that was for sure.

"Now, let's get started." Snart snapped and Caitlin was suddenly beside her as well, her eyes wide with fear as Snart's partner pulled her close. That was when she saw the camera in Snart's hands, linked to a small device that she could only guess was transmitting the video throughout the city. So that even the Flash would be able to see it, to see his friends being threatened by his enemies.

 _"_ _Greetings, citizens of Central City…"_

* * *

"Tie those tighter, why don't you?"

After Snart had completed his little speech to the Flash, he and his partner had dragged them up to the main floor and sat them down back-to-back. Laura grimaced and turned back to his partner with a sharp glare as the zip ties around her wrists tightened to the point of cutting off circulation, just like her ankles, and she caught the eye of the flame enthusiast, his grin widening at her remark. There was something dangerous hiding in those eyes, something wild and uncontrollable, and it made her worry for her safety. However, the longer she looked at him, Laura had the distinct feeling that she had seen him before, but she shook it off as he tightened the bonds with a final tug and leaned back on his haunches.

"You're friends of his, right? The Flash? I like him. He's fast…like fire."

"Who would have thought; the man wielding a flamethrower likes fire. Congratulations, you'd give a psychologist an easy paycheck." Laura couldn't stop herself – as always, humour helped alleviate some of the stress.

"Watch your mouth, little girl. Fire…fire is undefinable. Heat, light, energy. It's an evolution when things burn."

Laura watched, her stomach churning in response, as the man took out a lighter from his grease-stained coveralls and raised his hand above it, letting it lick his palm without even flinching. She could just see in the deep scabs and burns that had never healed over in the light of the flame, leaving most of his body a mottled mess. Something was seriously wrong with this man, and Laura decided then she was never going to find out why.

"You're _sick_." Caitlin ground out.

"Maybe you're the sick ones. Ever think about it that way, princess?"

"Not particularly. We tend to think of people who like to burn buildings to the ground as the sick ones, if you don't mind."

The man smirked, his lips twisting upward just the tiniest bit, and Laura saw a flash of interest in his eyes. She forced herself to keep his gaze.

"What do they call you?"

"Rory. Mick Rory."

The name didn't exactly click, but Laura couldn't get rid of the feeling that she had seen his face _somewhere_.

"You have third-degree burns all over your body. Why didn't you get skin grafts?" Laura was impressed by the degree of calm with which Caitlin was handling the situation, her voice just level enough to disguise any fear. However, Rory must have caught the tremor in her voice the same time she did, and Laura heard him chuckle.

"The thing is, the fire, when it burned me, it revealed my true self; it showed me who I really am. I wonder – what will the flame reveal when I burn the Flash?" Now Laura was more than just concerned; there was a gleam in his eye that reminded her all too much of a predator laying claim to its prey, and from the sounds of it, he would have no problem burning Barry until he was nothing more than a charred skeleton. The mere thought of it made her shudder in disgust, and she forced herself to calm down, to push back the cold that was coursing through her fingers.

"Do you whatever you want to us. Just leave him alone." Caitlin spat, tugging against her bonds valiantly.

Rory didn't look one bit fazed.

"You and this Flash must be really close if you're willing to die for him. How about I test that loyalty?" Suddenly, he had his weapon inches from Caitlin's face, and Laura felt the urge to let him die of severe frostbite even if he didn't hurt Caitlin. He could hurt her, he could hurt Barry – but Caitlin Snow was off limits. She was brave, yes, but ultimately, she was human. And she was a friend.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her." She growled, every word dripping with anger, and suddenly found herself face-to-face with the pyromaniac. His eyes were alight with excitement, long ago twisted into fatal obsession, and she forced herself to keep eye contact with him, even as his gun pressed into the underside of her jaw. The heat it emanated made her hiss in pain before her body adjusted, and Laura had to fight back the cold that was pushing insistently from beneath her skin – her whole body pulsed with the desire to fight back against the flame.

"You want me to show him who _you_ really are? Would you like that?"

"Tell you what, Sunshine – when I get to hell, I'll save you a front row seat. How's that sound?"

"That's _funny_. I wonder if the Flash'll be laughing when I show him your true self." She could practically feel the flames licking at her already as his finger tightened on the trigger.

"Enough, Mick." Laura almost sighed in relief as the gun moved away from her head, Rory's shoulders sagging with disappointment at the mention of his name. Snart emanated impatience and irritation, as if his partner were a pet that he had reluctantly brought along, but there was a excitement buried underneath those well-crafted layers that she had learned to see through all those years ago. Back when those layers had still collapsed for her.

Snart was _excited_ to kill the Flash.

Rory smirked at them both, and leant down to switch on the device he'd set underneath their chairs; she couldn't see what he did next with it, but she was fairly certain that she heard the familiar sound of wire being unwound. "You better pray the next people who comes through these doors is us." He growled into her ear, and Laura grunted, fighting against his hands as he gagged her, then Caitlin. She caught Snart's gaze for just a second as he made his way to the exit, and Laura could have sworn that she saw a flicker of recognition on his face before it was washed away by contempt and triumph.

"You'd better pray that the next people who walk through those doors are us."

And with that, Caitlin and Laura were left alone in the cold, dark warehouse, awaiting rescue.

Or death.

* * *

Part of Laura wanted to do nothing more than slam an icicle in Snart's and Rory's chests, but there were more important matters at hand. She couldn't even be sure what time it was when she finally decided that the two criminals were far away enough for her to try and break free. There was no way she was throwing away her identity that fast, especially to someone like Snart. It was getting dark outside – that was about all she knew, considering the fact that she was tied down to a chair and she could only see one window.

Whatever device – a bomb seemed likely – Rory had placed underneath them, it didn't seem to operate on motion. Despite a small part of her urging her to stay still and wait for rescue, Laura had rocked her chair a few times, but fiery death hadn't arrived, so she set about getting them free. Rory might have been crazy, but at least he knew how to keep his hostages in place – there was very little wiggle room between her hands, the armrest and the plastic ties. As she slumped back down in the seat, Laura took another look at the ties. She really wasn't looking forward dislocating her thumbs again – but there was another option.

It wasn't that hard to gather up cold in her hands – Snart definitely didn't have the resources for shock handcuffs like the Reverse Flash did – and Laura forced herself to block out everything else as she let the cold spread throughout both of her arms. She could still remember the way her arm had been the night of the Reverse Flash, but forced those thoughts away by focusing on letting the cold out, bit-by-bit. The ties quickly froze over, but Laura let a bit more seep out until she was certain that they were brittle enough to break. It only took a few tugs before they fell away, the icy pieces clattering silently against the metal floor, but Laura couldn't care less.

Within minutes Laura was free. However, as she stood up to get to Caitlin, something caught against her foot, and an innocent beeping filled her senses.

Laura didn't stop to think as she pushed Caitlin's chair as far away from the device as she could. A wave of scalding heat passed over her as she dived to shield her friend, but as the explosion rattled her, a violent wave of cold passed through her body, and the sound of the explosion mingled with the crackling of ice forming. The last thing Laura knew before everything went dark was the soothing feeling of cold passing over her and a burning pain in her shoulders.

* * *

 _"_ _Laura? Laura? Come on, Laura, you have to wake up."_

 _"_ _Don't do this to us."_

 _"_ _Please, just hold on."_

* * *

 _"_ _I love you, sweetheart. Take care of them for me, okay?"_

* * *

 _Why did you go?_

* * *

"She's waking up!"

"Come on, give her some space."

"Laura? Laura, can you hear me?"

Laura groaned, unconsciousness falling away in stages. She had the distinct feeling that she was underwater, if the distorted and distant voices were anything to go by. Her back ached with an underlying stinging, and Laura just realized that not only was she lying on her side, her jacket had been taken off. It took some effort to open her eyes, but when she did, there were no words to describe the looks of utter joy on the three faces looming over her. Both Cisco and Caitlin looked close to tears, but Joe seemed just plain ecstatic to see her awake and relatively okay. All three of them were crouched beside her, and Laura couldn't help but wonder how long she had been unconscious when she saw that they were still in the warehouse.

"He – Hey." She grimaced at the sound of her voice, but that did nothing to damper the others' smiles. The world spun wildly as she tried to sit up, but Caitlin pushed her back down with a stern glare.

"Cait-"

"No, you have to stay put."

"Caitlin, I-"

" _Laura_."

"Sorry. What happened?"

"What do you last remember?"

Her last coherent memory was shoving Caitlin out of the way and diving to cover her – and the cold. In a beat, Laura's eyes shot up, and her jaw dropped at the sight of the jagged wall of ice that curved over the four of them like a shield. It looked like something out of a nightmare, the sharp edges sending a shiver down her spine, and for a moment, Laura couldn't fathom the idea that she had created something like that as she studied her reflection in the smooth, yet broken, surface.

"Did…did I do that?" Caitlin nodded.

"Yeah. Caitlin told us that it just came out of nowhere right when you threw her out of the way."

"Then you passed out on me."

"Huh." Cisco smiled at that, and Laura couldn't suppress a shaky grin as well, despite the way her entire body ached. There was something akin to worry and trepidation in his eyes, but it gave way to joy as she smiled back at him.

They were _alive_.

They were _okay_.

* * *

When they finally arrived at the precinct nearly half an hour later, all eyes were on them, and Laura let herself smile as she and Caitlin were led to the paramedics, despite the stinging in her shoulders. As an EMT sat her down in a chair, Laura realized just how much she was shaking, and forced herself relax while they cleaned and bandaged her wounds. As she suspected, there were some blisters and a few first-degree burns on her back from the explosion, but there was no shrapnel or any other significant damage to be worried about. Laura dreaded to think what would have happened had her body hadn't been there to save her.

However, just as she was starting to drift off, the room was filled with thunderous applause, and Laura looked up just in time to see Leonard Snart and Mick Rory being dragged into the room by several officers, Captain Singh leading the cavalry. Rory didn't seem to be taking it so well, snarling and throwing off his escort like an animal before the officers managed to drag him away. However, his partner was much more passive, but it wasn't defeat that Laura saw in Snart's eyes as they met hers. A smirk played on his lips, but the contempt that lay in his eyes was temporarily replaced by confusion before he broke eye contact to sneer in Joe's face. Being so close to him, especially after what he had just done, made it hard to ignore him. Luckily, Joe wasn't feeling too gracious, and the last look Laura got of Leonard Snart that night was his blue parka before he disappeared from sight.

Later, when everything had quieted down and Captain Singh had _finally_ thanked Cisco for his help, Caitlin and Laura were slumped against each other on one of the precinct's benches. Being kidnapped and nearly blown up had taken a toll on them; her shoulders still stung just a bit, but other than that the paramedics had given her a clean bill of health. Laura was just starting to drift off when Barry approached them for the first time that night. She was fairly certain that he had been there when Snart and Rory had made their entrance, but by now she couldn't even be sure of what day it was, much less what time.

"Is she okay?" Laura looked over to see Caitlin drooling on her shoulder, the blanket from the EMTs wrapped tightly around her, but Laura couldn't really bring herself to care.

 _"_ _I think I've found a way to find Ronnie."_

There would be time for questions later; her friend deserved some rest.

"She'll be fine. How did your fight with Snart and Rory go?"

"Good, I guess. It just sort of feels like someone set me on fire inside of a freezer and then barbecued me in the Artic. Oh, that reminds me. I had to dismantle that wall of ice you made back at Snart's warehouse before the police got there."

"Sorry about that. I really should have taken care of that, huh?"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I heard about your back, by the way."

"It's nothing to lose sleep over. I just have to see a doctor for a few weeks and I should be fine."

A peaceful silence fell in between them, and Laura pulled the blanket around her tighter as she felt herself starting to nod off. However, when she looked at Barry, the conflicted expression on his face that made her sit up.

"Alright, Scarlet. Spill."

"What?"

"Something's obviously bothering you, and I'm not going to be the one to beat it out of you. That's Caitlin's job."

"…I heard about what happened at the warehouse. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and Caitlin."

" _Barry_ …"

"I – I just feel stupid for not going after them when I had the chance. When they showed that video on TV…"

"You felt helpless." His head, which had dropped into his hands, shot up, and Laura was surprised to find herself thinking with an amazing amount of lucidity. Barry looked distraught, and she scooted as close to him as she could without waking Caitlin up.

"Barry, you know what I was thinking when I was sitting in that warehouse?"

"What?"

"I was thinking…I was thinking that I was glad to have met you. I'll be honest with you, these last few months have been the best of my life."

"Right."

"I'm serious. Before I met you, I was closed off from everyone at S.T.A.R. Labs. Yes, Caitlin and Cisco will swear up and down that I wasn't that bad out of pity, but I was. I really was; I didn't let anyone in. I thought I could handle the world on my own. And then I woke up, able to do things that are impossible, and I met you. You changed my life, Barry, and for the better. And even though you weren't there to save me tonight, you've helped me in some many other ways than you could possibly imagine. So don't feel bad if you can't be there for me all the time."

It was a while before Barry spoke again, the clouded look on his face slowly making way for sheepish gratitude.

"I guess I should have more faith in my partner."

"Hey – they don't call me Frostbite because I sit around making snow cones and singing Disney songs."

"…we do work well together, don't we?"

"Yes, we do."

"…to partners, then."

"To partners and psychopaths who never take a day off."

"Amen."

"…we should really get going, though. It's almost midnight."

"Oh, right. Caitlin, get up."

"I'm awake!"

Not such a bad night after all.

 **Hello, all! I hope you enjoy this new chapter - I really liked this one too. Also, if you'd like to send me prompts, I'm thinking of starting a drabble series for Laura and Team Flash.**

 **Stay tuned for more chapters! Reviews are loved!**


	21. Chapter 21: Winds of Change

The cemetery was deserted when Laura arrived the next day. It usually wasn't busy, but she was grateful that no one could interrupt her. She hadn't been planning to go this week, but after what had happened? After seeing Snart?

She just needed someone to talk to.

Who better than her mother?

The last time she'd visited her mother had been just a week before the accelerator exploded. The first time, however, had been two days after her mother's death, surrounded by family and friends of her mother. Even now, she knew little to nothing her father's family or his friends, but she doubted a man like him would have ever have any real connections – any real attachments.

However, as she stared down at her mother's grave, a light breeze brushing over the green-brown hillside, Laura was surprised that it was difficult to figure out what she wanted to say. With a heavy sigh, she sat down on the grass, ignoring the dampness, and took a moment to collect her thoughts. The bouquet of deep blue hydrangeas lay beside her on the grass, patiently waiting to be placed within the vase resting on the headstone. Still, she didn't hurry – she had all the time in the world, after all.

"Hi, Mom. I know haven't been here in a while – I hope you're not upset about that. It's just…well, things have been changing a lot lately."

"I…I saw him the other day, Leonard. He's changed a lot. I'm not sure you would recognize him, but I did. It's been a long time since we've seen each other."

"He didn't recognize me."

"He's killed, Mom. He's killed people. I don't know what to think about that. I can't really say anything to him because, well, you know. And he's going to prison. Missed opportunities, right?"

"I've met some people – good people. They're so good, and there's this one guy – Barry – he's pretty great. Caitlin and Cisco are great too – Cisco's the best – but you should see Barry run."

"I don't know if I can tell them about it all, Ma. I-I want to. I really do – but I don't know how they'll take it."

"They don't deserve this crap."

"I miss you, a lot. I had Christmas with my friends, and it just didn't feel the same. There's this detective – Joe West. He's a good man – you would have liked him. I guess you could say he's taking care of me."

"I wish you could meet them. All of them."

"Can I tell you something? I've changed. I'm so different, I wonder if even you would recognize me. Maybe you would."

"They'd scare you, the things I can do. I have these – these powers, but I can't tell if they're a gift or a curse."

"I'm scared."

"I can feel it, the energy, the power. I don't want it, but I have to use it. To help people. To make the world a better place. It's the least I can do, right?"

"I want to tell them so badly. You'd want me to tell them, wouldn't you? You never really did like liars."

"I don't know if I'm ready for them to find out. I…I don't want to drive them away. Not yet."

"I hope you're happy, wherever you are."

"I hope you like the flowers."

"I miss you."

* * *

S.T.A.R. Labs was quiet when Laura made her way inside later that day. The silence was welcome, but she could have done with a distraction. At least there wouldn't be anybody around to question her on why she was so quiet.

There was so much she wanted to say, so many things she wanted to tell them. All of them. After the fiasco from last night, Laura was finding it hard to fathom how she had kept her secret for so long. As she sat down, the thought that maybe she was the one who wasn't ready came to mind, but she brushed it off as Dr. Wells entered the room. There was a small grimace on his face, but it softened when he saw her, and Laura wondered just how much the effects of her recent encounter with Snart were showing. He didn't say anything, and Laura felt grateful as he made his way past her towards his office – the man was an enigma, but at least he knew a thing or two about personal space.

Laura enjoyed the quiet while she had the chance. It was nice, to be able to think without the noise, but eventually three familiar sets of footsteps resounded throughout the halls, and she sat up just in time to catch Barry's eye as they entered the room.

Twelve years ago, she'd wondered how she could ever live with the burden her father had given her. Somehow, she had made it this far. Somehow, she had dragged herself out from under his shadow to become the exact opposite of the person he had tried to beat her into. She had become so much stronger than she had ever imagined.

Her father had not won.

And as she sat there, listening to her friends – her family – talking, laughing, smiling, Laura knew that no matter how much baggage she carried, she could face whatever came her way. That no matter what, she could be strong. She could leave behind those dark days; she could keep fighting

She could win.

Because that's what heroes did.

* * *

 _I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become._

 _\- Carl Gustav Jung_


	22. Chapter 22: The Piper's Reprise

In the weeks since the Flash had defeated one Leonard Snart and one Mick Rory, fighting crime had become a large part of Laura's life. On an almost daily basis, Laura found herself taking down criminals throughout the city alongside Barry, whether it was a simple breaking and entering or the occasional armed car chase. Cisco had returned her goggles to her eventually, now outfitted with a permanent clip for her earbud and a camera that helped him, Caitlin and Dr. Wells see everything in the field. He had also promised that he would get working on her bike soon, and even though she told him there was no rush, Laura had to admit that it would be nice to not have to jump into Barry's arms every time a call came in.

Her day job was also doing very well. It seemed that having an extra CSI working for the precinct now made work go by twice as fast, even with Barry's speed and experience. All too often she found herself chatting it up with either Eddie, Joe, or the other detectives when Barry was late, and she had to admit, it was fun to hear them rib him for his 'super tardiness'. Sometimes she'd even chat with Iris when she came to visit Eddie, although Barry never seemed to be around when she was. However, whenever he caught her laughing at their jokes, Laura almost always found herself being voluntold for the station's morning coffee run.

Which was exactly what she had been doing before the call came in.

Dr. Wells' home had been attacked.

Almost an hour later after she returned to the station, Laura was sitting in the back of Joe's car beside Barry, their kits in the trunk, as he drove all three of them to Dr. Wells' home. She couldn't tell much from the call, but apparently someone had vandalized it the night before while he was home. She felt a pang of worry for her former employer, but she knew from experience that he was more resilient than most people assumed.

By the time they got there, the place was swarming with police. As Laura followed Barry and Joe into the large – and boy, did she mean _large_ – house, she couldn't help but wonder why Dr. Wells needed such a large place all to himself, and so far away from his work. He had always had been one for solitary activities, but this was taking it to a whole new level. However, those thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as the doors pulled back on their own, and Laura was pleasantly surprised to see Dr. Wells himself waiting at the door, though he didn't exactly look happy to have his home invaded by police. He looked exhausted, actually.

"Laura, Barry, Joe – please, come in." They did just that, although as they made their way through the foyer, Barry seemed to be more focused on the house itself than anything. And with good reason. Even her apartment, no matter how high the rent was, didn't even come close to the standards of Harrison Wells' mini-mansion, with sleek glass partitions doubling as walls and high-quality marble shining under her feet. Somehow, they managed to not trip over their own feet as they stared around them in mild awe, and followed Dr. Wells into his home.

"I'm sorry for bothering you all like this; the police should _not_ have been called. I already told the officers that I got a prank call before it happened."

"I hate to disagree with you, Dr. Wells, but this looks like more than just a prank." Joe was right, as usual. As Laura stepped out from behind him, she could see the shattered glass covering the floor; it looked like someone had smashed the sunroof above them, sharp edges of glass scattered across the black stone floor. Beside her, she could see from the look on his face that Barry was already analyzing the entire scene mentally, and she vaguely heard Joe talking to Dr. Wells as she followed Barry down to the scene.

"You should have called sooner. This kind of damage is serious business."

"Well, there are those who feel I did not suffer enough from the particle accelerator explosion. Sometimes, they act on those feelings. But, honestly, it's not worth your time."

"Come on. We should get started." Barry murmured to Laura, and she nodded, opening her kit just as Caitlin and Cisco came barrelling into the room. As Caitlin fussed over Dr. Wells, asking him over and over if he was hurt, Laura started to inspect the scene before her. Starting with the glass, Laura could almost instantly tell that something was off. The breaking pattern was odd, that was for sure. If she pieced it together mentally, it looked as if every single pane of glass had just dropped from its frame.

As the officers gradually left the building and returned to the precinct, Laura helped Barry cordon off any areas where they would need to search for more evidence. Most of the walls in the front part of the house were also glass, although one, thick and tinted green, had been shattered. The house was empty except for the three of them, so it wasn't a problem for Barry to use his speed to reconstruct the glass.

However, once he had most of the glass pieced together, Barry went silent. He was rarely silent at crime scenes, and only when the situation called for it or when he was deep in thought.

"Barry? You have something?"

"Yeah…can you take a look at this? I'm not sure if I'm seeing this right."

"Sure." Laura did as Barry instructed, and as she looked carefully, what he was trying to get her to see became very clear. Suddenly, however, they were interrupted by Dr. Wells pulling up to them in his chair, looking all too expectant but with just a hint of trepidation.

"Dr. Sanders? Mr. Allen? Do you have something?"

"Well, that's the thing. We don't really have anything. There's no impact point on the glass where it might have been struck."

"Which either means the glass fell by pure coincidence, or whatever caused the breakage wasn't solid."

"Exactly. It's like they just shattered themselves. I don't think any teenager would have been able to pull this off, Dr. Wells."

"…no, it was not."

"You said earlier that you didn't want to call the police. Why? Do you know who did it?"

"Unfortunately, yes – Hartley Rathaway." Laura almost choked as she inhaled sharply.

"Hartley's back?" Barry was looking between her and Dr. Wells, clearly confused, but that was to be expected. He'd never heard of Hartley, much less seen him; she had insider knowledge that Caitlin and Cisco were both grateful that Barry had never crossed the path of the man who had made their time at S.T.A.R. miserable. Unfortunately, that option was seeming less likely by the minute, now that it appeared that Hartley had returned after so long.

"Wait, hold up. Who's Hartley Rathaway?" Laura shared a look with Dr. Wells that spoke volumes. It had to happen _sometime_ , and she watched with a growing sense of dread as Dr. Wells turned to face Barry.

"Hartley Rathaway is – was my protégé. And now he's back."

* * *

The next day, Laura stood in the control room, watching from behind the computer consoles as Dr. Wells recounted the infamous tale of Hartley Rathaway to Barry and Joe. She tuned most of it out; she'd known Hartley in passing before he'd left, but the rare situations in which they'd interacted were less than pleasant. Cisco was right when he said he could be a dick – almost everybody at S.T.A.R. Labs had hated Hartley, or as he called himself, the 'Chosen One.' That name became something of a joke among the other scientists, although she never really found the point in participating, even if she did agree with them. She could still remember the first time they'd met – almost three years ago.

She had just been accepted into S.T.A.R. Labs, and after being introduced to most of the other employees, Dr. Wells had made the decision to introduce her to Hartley. A terrible decision, really, although that revelation came only seconds after they met. He may have been the smartest person in that building, but he really wasn't that great of a human being. He'd ignored her the entire time, leaving her confused and more than a little affronted. From that day forward, Laura had eased into the collective mindset of simply staying away from Hartley to avoid his unbridled arrogance, just like all the other newcomers before her. She could sympathize with what it was like to be a disappointment to your family – she'd heard about his coming out through the grapevine – but his personality, caustic and condescending mixed with one heck of a Machiavellian complex, did nothing to draw any sympathy from her.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to let him hurt you. Any of you."

Laura felt as if she should butt in – she was Barry's partner, after all. But there was still the possibility that if Hartley was targeting Dr. Wells, then he might come after Cisco and Caitlin. And by proxy, her. Hartley was smart; he knew how to get what he wanted. If his endgame was Harrison Wells, then all three of them were in just as much danger as he was.

And for some reason, that scared her.

* * *

"Something on your mind?"

Laura almost got whiplash as she whipped around to face Joe, his voice quiet in the lab. He looked concerned, and probably for a good reason, since she'd been staring at the same screen for the past ten minutes. She'd hitched a ride back to the precinct with him, where Barry was working on demonstrating his theory on how Hartley had attacked Dr. Wells' home without having to touch the glass. She remembered that Hartley had been working with sonic technology before his departure, but she'd never understood why he would divert himself from working on the particle accelerator. Then again, she knew him as well as anybody else at S.T.A.R. Labs did, with the exception of Dr. Wells.

"Just…Hartley, in general. He _was_ an absolute ass," Laura had to laugh alongside Joe despite the somber mood, "but he was also a genius."

"Did you know him well?"

"More than I would have liked to. He was arrogant. Condescending. But he wasn't reckless. He was a master of strategy, and that made it easy for him to get whatever he wanted."

"Well, now I feel inadequate."

"Don't say that. Hartley was – he was special; he had a gift. I just don't understand why he'd do something like this. He wasn't someone who resorted to vandalizing homes to frighten – he'd just work his way into your head until you'd do anything to get rid of him. Even beg."

"I'm guessing you had some first-hand experience with him."

"Not like that, not really. I tried to stay away from him when I could, but even that was hard to do."

"Hang on, didn't Dr. Wells say he used to be his protégé?"

"Well, protégé's a light word for it. Dr. Wells was the only person at S.T.A.R. Labs that Hartley interacted with who he didn't put down. They could have been father and son."

"Huh. But something happened between them to make Hartley leave, right?"

"Honestly, I never did hear much about it. One day, Hartley was working with Dr. Wells like he always was, and the next, he was gone. Nobody could find him, and he didn't bother to explain it to any of us. But, if anybody knew what was going on in Hartley's head, it would be Dr. Wells."

Joe nodded thoughtfully, but his mind was obviously elsewhere. There was an odd look in his eyes, and despite her better judgement, Laura went ahead and asked him anyway.

"Joe? Is there something wrong?"

"What? Nothing, it's nothing."

She wasn't convinced, but Laura let it slide, and she turned back to her work with a quick glance back at Joe, who didn't even so much as blink as he stared into the distance. They were silent for a while after that, each of them mulling over their thoughts individually. Although she couldn't tell what Joe was thinking, Laura was still completely at a loss. What on Earth would Hartley have to gain from attacking Dr. Wells? He'd been his mentor, and one of the few people in his life who hadn't pushed him away because of who he was. There was something going on, something they weren't seeing. The three of them stayed like that for a while, not speaking to each other at all and leaving each other alone with their individual thoughts, until Eddie burst into the room, looking just a little more than flustered.

"Rathaway Industries is under attack."

Barely five minutes later, both Barry and Laura sped through the streets of their fair city, Laura latched on to Barry like a limpet as the wind whipped past her goggled face. When they finally reached the building, police cars were already parked in front and officers were ordering the one and only Hartley Rathaway to put his hands in the air. Hartley was in full on super villain mode, using what looked like a pair of glowing gauntlets to shatter the windows on the cruisers.

It took her a moment to process what exactly was happening, but Laura acted as quickly as she could, throwing up a wall of ice between the officers and Hartley, as Barry knocked him to the ground in one motion. She was by his side as soon as the wall was finished, looking down on Hartley with a vague sense of irony, but her former colleague didn't seem fazed in the least.

"It's over, Rathaway."

"Huh, you know my name. That's not surprising – I know some names too. Caitlin Snow…"

Crap.

"Cisco Ramon…"

Crap.

"Harrison Wells…"

Crap.

"Laura Sanders."

 _Crap_.

As he spoke her name, Hartley's eyes flicked to her face momentarily, and Laura cursed him mentally as a brief ghost of a smirk flashed across his own, before he turned back to Barry. Even with both of them looming above him, he still managed to emanate complete confidence as he climbed to his feet.

"Just so you know, I can hear the radio waves emanating from your earpieces. About 1900 megahertz? Is that them on the other end? Are they going to hear you die?"

"No, they're going to hear you get your ass kicked."

"Oh, I highly doubt that."

Before either of them could react, Hartley aimed his gloves at Barry, a high-pitched noise emanating from them before her partner was sent flying back into the Rathaway sign, falling through it with a shout of pain. Laura acted quickly; spikes of ice shot out from her hands as she blasted Hartley with just enough cold to burn, and the spikes surrounded him in a makeshift cage. However, always resilient, Hartley was on his feet in seconds, his green eyes piercing through her goggles, and Laura's shout of warning to Barry was drowned out by the blasts from Hartley's gloves as the spikes shattered. The force of the blast sent her to her knees, but when she finally shook the ringing from her ears, Laura looked up just in time to see Barry rush forward and rip Hartley's gloves from his hands.

Surprisingly, Hartley didn't fight back, even as Barry grabbed him by the collar and leaned in with a triumphant smirk.

"Looks like you're not as smart as everyone says."

"Maybe. But I am smart enough to know who Harrison Wells really is."

What?

"You see, I know his secrets – _all_ of them."

* * *

Half an hour later, both Laura and Barry dragged Hartley, handcuffed but for some reason looking even smugger that the day she'd met him, into S.T.A.R. Labs. They didn't dare speak to each other on the ride up to the control room, unsure just how much Hartley would be able to pick up since he already knew that they were working with Dr. Wells. The way he looked at her, almost in contempt, however, led Laura to believe that he knew much more than that. When they finally stepped out of the elevator, Caitlin and Cisco were waiting for them in the adjoining room, looking just as miserable as Laura felt. Hartley stopped short as they shoved him forward, glancing between her friends.

"Looks like the gang's all here," God, she'd forgotten how much she hated that condescending tone, "you've lasted a lot longer than I would have thought, _Cisco_."

"And you didn't even last ten seconds against the Flash."

"Oh, is that what they're calling him? Now that you mention it, I was thinking of calling myself Pied Piper. And what do they call you?" He didn't even have to turn around, but it was quite clear that Hartley was talking to her. Before she could answer, however, Cisco did it for her, his eyes flaring up with an anger that Laura had never thought him capable of.

"She goes by Frostbite, if you haven't already guessed. And heads up, coming up with nicknames is my job. Though that one's not bad." Hartley smirked knowingly, and he turned to Caitlin. Laura had never seen her look so angry at someone, not even Cisco; her eyes were hard and her arms were crossed tightly in front of her, though years of perfecting defenses against harsh words had clued in Laura on her attempt to shield herself.

"You know, I never did get that wedding invite, Caitlin."

The effect was instantaneous. Barry almost shoved Hartley to the floor in anger, and Cisco, his eyes blazing, grabbed him by his collar and marched him towards the Cortex. Caitlin followed him without a word, although Laura was dismayed to catch a glimpse of the uncertainty on her friend's face as she disappeared from view. Hartley would definitely pick up on that. Finally, she and Barry were alone, and Laura had to take a moment to stop her hands from shaking – she hadn't been this angry for a long time.

"Man, he's an asshole."

"Well, don't say we didn't warn you."

"How on Earth did you guys put up with him?"

"Everyone just talked behind his back a lot. I'm pretty sure Cisco still has a file on his computer on ways to humiliate the 'Green-Eyed Devil'."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Anyway, I should get changed before I head down there."

"Are you sure? He doesn't seem like the guy who needs the extra company."

"They're going to need backup on this one. Trust me."

Barry let out a sigh and nodded, looking just a smidge uncomfortable mixed with a healthy dose of lingering anger, and Laura knew that it was most likely because of his remark to Caitlin. She'd already suffered enough this past year by losing Ronnie twice; the last thing she needed was the king of jerks rubbing it in her face. By the time she had changed and located her friends in the Cortex, Hartley was already situated in one of the containment cells. In the past few months, she'd learned that every metahuman the Flash had ever encountered and defeated was locked in a private cell in the Cortex – just like the Reverse Flash had done to her.

When she arrived, Cisco was mumbling something in Spanish, most likely obscene considering who stood just a few feet away from him, as he flipped through the cell's screen, while Caitlin watched on from a few feet away. Each separate cell has a scanning unit consisting of x-rays and infrared sensors, as well as a system that allowed for adjustments in the environment, and a small alarm went off as the scans completed themselves.

"Scanners are detecting foreign metal objects in your ears. Take 'em out." Hartley's head shot up as Cisco gestured for him to comply.

"I can't. I suffered head trauma when S.T.A.R. Labs exploded. My hearing was _severely_ damaged – without these, I am in pain you can't even begin to imagine."

"You're going to hurt a lot worse if I get my hands on you."

All three of them turned to face her, and Cisco and Caitlin relaxed visibly, even if it was minute, when they saw it was her. Hartley's trademark smirk grew even wider, if that was even possible, and Laura forced herself to maintain eye contact as she joined her friends.

"Laura," Hartley greeted her with false cheer, "I was wondering when you would show up. Good to see you finally woke up."

"How do you know about that?"

"I make it a point to keep up with all of my former colleagues. By the way, how are your psychrophiles doing?"

"They're extinct _,_ but they appreciate the concern."

"Aw, poor things – looks like we all lost something that night."

To say that the silence that followed was tense would be an understatement, and Laura spared a glance at Cisco and Caitlin, her heart sinking a bit as she recognized the closed off looks on their faces. Hartley was working his old tricks again, and it was disgusting to see, to know, just how much he was affecting all of them. The Pied Piper just had to turn out to be a master of emotional manipulation, much less a psychotic evil genius.

"By the way, very clever, repurposing the anti-proton cavities into confinement cells. Wells' idea, I'm sure."

"Actually, that was mine."

 _"_ _Cisquito…"_ Laura froze as she recognized the name that had followed Cisco around until the day Hartley had left S.T.A.R. Labs. As they shot insults back and forth at each other in Spanish, she could barely control the surge of anger building up inside of her. Finally, Caitlin stepped in, her voice controlled but on the edge of full-blown rage, leaving her voice cold and hard.

"Hartley, don't make this any harder than it has to be."

 _"_ Ah. _J'ai oublié. Vous ne l'aimez émotions. Ils sont en désordre."_

" _Hartley_." Now she had his attention. Hartley's green eyes bored straight through her, but Laura had faced down dogs more frightening than him. She waited, resisting the urge to frost over the entire cell, until he finally spoke.

 _"_ _Es gibt keine Notwendigkeit_ _zu schnappen,_ Laura _."_

Ah, yes. She hadn't had to speak her second language in years. She'd done it on a whim in her first year of university, and it had been hard to forget, especially with her memory. Her first week on the job, she'd mistakenly answered to Dr. Wells in a garble of German when he'd popped his head into her office, and since then, Hartley had always spoken to her like that when he didn't want others to hear what he was saying, mostly demeaning insults and taunts that left her doing her best to suppress her anger. She wondered if he had learned it for that purpose only, and she suppressed a shudder before summoning all of her existing knowledge of the language.

 _"_ _Immer die_ _Opfer, nie der Sieger. Wie die mächtigen gefallen sind_ _."_

 _"_ _Oh, sieht aus wie ich das Eis-Königin geweckt haben_ _."_

"Enough, Hartley!" The force in Dr. Wells' voice made all three of them jump in surprise as he made his way up to the cell

"Give us a minute." Laura hesitated to leave the two of them alone, but with a quick glance back to assure herself of his demands, Laura followed her friends out of the room. They didn't speak at all as they made their way back to the control room, where Barry was waiting, watching the live security feed of Hartley's conversation with Dr. Wells from the consoles. Even though she didn't even want to even hear his voice for the rest of her life, much less the rest of the day, Laura couldn't help but watch with morbid curiosity as the former mentor and protégé conversed. Apparently, Hartley was all too aware of the cameras they'd installed, and Laura felt him tense up beside her as he glanced up towards the four of them, his green eyes seemingly meeting her own.

"You know German?" Barry asked her quietly.

"I took a class in college."

"Why?"

"I was bored."

"Quiet," Cisco shushed them both, "I want to hear what they're saying."

 ** _"Feels great to have the great Harrison Wells behind you, doesn't it? Heed my words, everyone; one day, this man will turn on you and you won't even see it coming. I can only hope that he leaves you in better shape than he left me, but I doubt that. If you're lucky, you'll only be dead. Because every day I have to live with the agonizing, piercing, screaming in my ears."_**

 ** _"_** ** _And all because of him."_**

"Jesus…" Laura muttered before she could stop herself. She hadn't known it was that bad. But a quick glance from Cisco reminded her of who was doing the talking. However, just as Dr. Wells was turning to leave the Pipeline, Hartley spoke up, his voice dripping with sarcasm and contempt.

 ** _"_** ** _Harrison, I almost forgot. I told your newest pets something, about your deep dark secret?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Have fun letting them in on that one."_**

Nobody spoke for a while after that. They couldn't even begin to understand what Hartley had just told them, much less what they were supposed to do with that information, simply choosing to sit in silence and avoid each other's' gaze for the time being. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Dr. Wells made his way into the room, and looked at all three of them with a guilt-ridden expression, a look she had seen too many times in her life. They waited until he was ready to speak. And when he did speak, neither of them expected was came next.

"I assume you were all listening. Yes, Hartley was telling the truth. I have not been honest with you. With any of you." He hesitated, as if trying to find the right words to say to soften the blow, but Laura could tell that any chance of that happening was dying with every second he wasted.

"Before I turned on the accelerator, Hartley came to me. He warned me that there was a high chance that the accelerator could explode if we went ahead with the project. His data did not show one hundred percent certainty, just that there was a risk, but it was a _real_ risk; he told me that if I went ahead with the accelerator, we would see catastrophic results. And yet, I made the decision, with the information at hand, that the reward – that everything we could learn and everything we could achieve from the accelerator, that all of that simply outweighed that risk."

"I'm sorry."

 **Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know that there may not be another chapter for the next few days since I have to study for my midterms, but I will do my best to continue the story. Thank you all for reading and stay tuned!**


	23. Chapter 23: The Piper's Revenge

"Hartley."

After the shocking – to be honest, it was just plain devastating – news that had been laid upon them, Cisco and Caitlin had both stormed out of the building after having a few choice words with their employer. Laura didn't know whether they'd gone to drown their sorrows or simply curse themselves somewhere for trusting Dr. Wells in some small dark corner of the building, and she was pretty sure Barry had gone back to the lab, but at the moment, she had no idea what she was going to do next. Laura's mind was a mess as she tried to make sense of the information she had just been bombarded with, and there was too much rage and confusion and disgust for her to think straight for one second.

So, as she always did in the midst of a crisis, Laura did the stupid thing.

She went to see Hartley.

"Laura. Glad to see you again. How's life working for Harrison Wells?"

"Cut the crap, Hartley. Cisco and Caitlin are devastated."

"You tell me that as if I'm supposed to care. But enough about them, Dr. Sanders - how are you?" The smirk plastered on his face was unbearable, and Laura had to fight to keep her anger and the cold brewing in her hands in check.

"You're not my therapist, Hartley."

"No, but I am your fellow. I know you were changed by the explosion that night, Frostbite. We both were. Tell me – how does it feel knowing that the great Harrison Wells could have prevented that explosion? That you could have had a normal life? That he knew, he knew the risks, and that he went ahead with it anyway?"

"Listen, Hartley. What happened was horrible, yes. Lives were ruined, and Dr. Wells was responsible for that, yes. He needs to face justice; I'm not going to argue with you about that. But the difference between you and me, Hartley, is that I choose not to let it consume me. I'm not going to be the person who makes Wells redeem himself. It's his choice if he wants to do that or not. All I can do is take his mistakes and make something good out of it."

It was almost funny that someone else had had to convince her of that same thing over seven years ago.

"And look where that's gotten you – blindly following his orders without a clue of his true agenda. He played all of you like fools."

"Go to hell."

As she stalked from the room, the frost forming at her fingertips just barely beyond her control, Laura missed the pleased smirk on Hartley's face, his eyes glinting in the darkness moments as the door slid shut.

"Glad I could help."

* * *

After her disastrous conversation with Hartley, Laura decided that the best way to work out her feelings was to punch something. As per the Arrow's recommendations, Cisco had set up a training room in the building for her and Barry to keep active, where she practiced the training that she received at the station. That was where she was now, working away at the punching bag hung from the ceiling by a chain with every ounce of strength in her body, the anger fading with each blow she made against the leather. When her muscles finally started to cramp up, Laura finally stopped to take a break, adding a few chunks of ice to her water bottle to let the cold itching behind her fingertips out.

However, as she slumped on the bench in the corner, the familiar sound of a motorized wheelchair sent Laura's head shooting up. Dr. Wells lingered in the doorway, the guilt-ridden look in his eyes betraying his stiff posture, and she reluctantly nodded her consent. When he was just a few feet away from her, he leant forward into his chair and spoke, his voice quiet.

"Laura – I must apologize to you. I know that I've disappointed you. I want you to know that it was never my intention to let the particle accelerator explode."

"– why didn't you listen to him? Why didn't you listen to Hartley?"

"I believed that the benefits outweighed the risks. I…I miscalculated."

"You trusted him. You trusted him, and you turned your back on him."

"I know."

"Seventeen people are dead because you refused to listen."

"And I have had to live with that for over a year!" The force of his voice caught her off guard, but he sank back into his chair, a heavy sigh following the small outburst. "I will spend the rest of my life knowing that those seventeen died because I made that choice. Even before you all found out, I blamed myself every day. Every day since the incident, I have come into this building, thinking about the fact that people died here, trying my best to make sure that something good can come from my mistakes. When the two of you are out there, I feel as if my mistakes are being erased. I feel as if the entire city isn't against me anymore." His eyes fell as his voice trailed off into silence, and Laura stood up, forcing him to look up at her. He'd kept something so vital, so important, from all of them, and it hurt right in her heart to think that she had once looked up to the man. But deep inside, she wasn't so sure that she was angry anymore.

Well, for now, at least.

"Dr. Wells, you – you were the one who convinced me to be a hero, to follow the path of good. Whether to actually do some good or to get rid of your guilt, I don't know. I'm not sure if I can ever trust you the same way I used to before. But I'm not Hartley. I'm not vindictive, and I'm not going to let someone else's mistakes dictate my life."

With a grimace, Laura stalked past him towards the door. However, as she reached the doorway, Laura looked back for just a moment. Dr. Wells was still facing the wall where she had previously sat, his shoulders slumped in what she could only guess was defeat. Still, she needed to say one last thing, and her hands shook at her sides as she did. "If you want Cisco and Caitlin to forgive you, you're going to need more than just words. You've made a lot of mistakes; they're not going to go away if Barry and I do it all for you. These are your mistakes, and they're yours to fix. It's your choice if you want to do that."

As she left, Laura could have sworn she heard him whisper 'thank you'.

* * *

After her conversation with Dr. Wells, Laura felt much better once she saw that Caitlin and Cisco had returned. However, it was obvious that they were still shaken by what he'd told them, so she let them be; she knew that Barry was probably blowing off steam somewhere in the city, so the best option she had to pass the time was to go for a run.

It was dark outside, and although most people would have brought a jacket with them this time of year because of the wind chill, she was not most people. There was a small trail by the river as part of a city-wide attempt to spruce up the land by the river, but it was empty this time of night, something Laura was immensely grateful for. By the time she stopped, her chest heaving and her lungs aching, the sky was dark, and Laura's mind switched from worrying about Barry and her friends to other things as she stared at the road ahead.

Things like Hartley.

Something about his capture, now that she could look back and think clearly, seemed too good to be true. From what she'd gathered from the gauntlets that now sat in Cisco's workspace, he could have done a lot more damage to his family's business than just a few broken windows. If he'd wanted too, she realized, Hartley could have used that sonic technology to destroy Rathaway Industries entirely and leave behind nothing but a pile of silicon dust in its place.

But he hadn't. He could have destroyed both her and Barry in a single blast if he'd wanted to. But he hadn't.

It was almost as if he wanted to get caught.

As soon as she finished her thought, Laura came to a stop.

Hartley had wanted to get caught.

Her mind kicked into overdrive as the events of the past couple of days clicked into place. Hartley allowed himself to be captured, letting himself be stored away in the Pipeline, because that was the only way he could get access to S.T.A.R. Labs. And now, they had given him that opportunity without even realizing it.

In a matter of seconds, Laura was gunning it back towards the main building, ignoring the heavy weight of dread that settled itself deep in her stomach and the burn in her legs as the wind whipped past her face. By the time she reached the main entrance, the familiar wail of the emergency alarms inside could be heard from a hundred yards away. The sound sent her mind jumping to her lab on the night of the incident, flames surrounding her and her entire body numb with pain. Other memories themselves known as well as, more unpleasant and painful than she remembered. For a moment, Laura almost turned away.

Not now.

Pushing aside the memories as best as she could, Laura ran for the Pipeline, blasting past the control room where she caught a quick glimpse of Caitlin standing over the consoles. When she finally reached Hartley's cell, however, Laura's heart seized at the sight of Cisco sprawled among the shattered remains of the door, his face sticky with blood. She was by his side in seconds.

"Cisco? Cisco, can you hear me?" When her fingers finally found his pulse, weak but steady and present, Laura let out a sigh of relief. However, her sigh quickly turned into a scream of agony as a high-pitched wail filled the room, and she collapsed besides Cisco on the debris-littered floor, clutching at her head until she could feel nothing but pain.

"You all fell for it. Unbelievable. I had thought that even _you_ would have figured it out, Laura." Above her, Hartley grinned triumphantly in the flickering lights, and Laura screamed again as the sound grew even louder. His eyes glinted with glee, and Laura wondered through the haze of pain if he was truly enjoying this. It was clear now that they had all seriously underestimated how far he was willing to go to get his revenge.

"Hartley – please – don't, don't do this-" was all she could manage through the pain, but Laura could already tell that it wasn't enough

"I'll see you at the board, Frostbite."

And as Hartley's face faded away into the darkness, the last thing Laura knew was silence.

* * *

"God, that _stings."_

"Hey, hey, take it easy. He really did a number on both of you."

Laura shot Barry a grateful look as he pressed an ice pack against her pounding head, and sat back, watching as Cisco let Caitlin clean and bandage the cuts that littered his skin. By the time she had opened her eyes, Hartley was already long gone, as were his gauntlets. Cisco had apparently received a nasty concussion from being so close to the door of Hartley's cell when it had exploded, and Laura still had trouble hearing from the excessive amount of noise she'd been bombarded with, even though Caitlin had been quick to assure her nothing had been ruptured.

Apparently, Dr. Wells had called Barry once the alarms had gone off, but by the time he'd reached the building, Hartley was gone, and she, Caitlin and Cisco were all unconscious. Luckily, Caitlin had only been knocked out by their former colleague, but she was fairly certain that she could hear a faint ringing and Cisco was most definitely not coherent in any sense of the word.

"Should have seen it coming." Cisco mumbled as he tried to sit up, but Caitlin forced him to lie back down on the bed, and Laura felt a pang of sympathy for him as he complied. It was obvious to all three of them that he felt responsible for letting Hartley get away, and Laura knew that there really needed to be a group meeting about his massive guilt complex. His dazed eyes, which were somehow as clear as day, found hers for a brief second, and Laura could immediately tell that there were other things he felt guilty about; he'd panicked seconds after waking up, asking Barry frantically for both her and Caitlin with a terrified look on his face.

Frowning slightly, she stood and made her way over to him, ignoring the sudden wave of dizziness that overtook her, and smoothed down a butterfly bandage on his forehead, which forced him to meet her gaze.

"Cisco, it's not your fault."

"But-"

"But _nothing._ It's not your fault. Hartley's an ass, and I will repeat that until the day it gets into that thick skull of yours."

"It's on me too, Cisco. I shouldn't have left you guys here alone with him." Apparently Barry had decided to join the pity party as well, but the guilt in Cisco's eyes faltered nonetheless at the admission.

"This is no one's fault but mine." Dr. Wells' presence in the room surprised them all, as well as the anger in his voice. Laura felt Cisco tense slightly under her hands, but they remained where they stood as he faced them, his eyes distant and not entirely focused on any of them.

"I have earned the blame for this, and none of you should have to share it with me. Hartley doesn't believe that I've paid for my crimes, and he's right, I haven't. And he won't stop this rampage until I've paid for all of them." They stayed silent as he spoke in a grave voice that didn't fit him, but when he turned around to leave the room, Barry called after the man who had betrayed their trust in the worst way possible.

"Where are you going?"

"To fix my mistakes."

* * *

"Is this really going to help?"

"It's Dr. Wells's choice. If this is how he wants to do things, then we should let him."

Caitlin looked torn between marching down to the precinct herself and ripping off her own face as she and Laura watched the screens in the control room. The first news station they'd found was just one of many who had set a collision course for the precinct after being informed a few hours earlier of the impending press conference. Laura felt a bit relieved that Dr. Wells had decided to listen to her. It obviously didn't sit well with Barry, judging by his expression after Dr. Wells had announced his decision, but Laura had done her best to assure him that it was the right thing to do. Still, despite all the good Dr. Wells was trying to do through this press conference, Laura couldn't suppress the feeling that this wasn't going to appease Hartley at all. And it seemed that Caitlin was thinking the same way.

"It's just – we all know Hartley isn't the type of person to let things go. What if he attacks again?" Her teammate worried away at her lip with her teeth as she spoke, obviously nervous, and Laura knew full well that they all had a good reason to be. Everything they had seen so far told them Hartley was more dangerous than any metahuman they had ever faced, and the thought had her concerned for Dr. Well's safety.

"We really don't have any other options. By the way, how's Cisco doing?"

For a moment, Caitlin hesitated to say anything.

"He's…resting."

"Caitlin, I knew that. I meant, you know – about the other stuff?"

"I'm fine." Cisco's groggy voice filled the room, and together they turned to face him as he shuffled into the room. There were bags under his eyes, and he swayed a bit on his feet, but Laura held herself back as he approached them. It was more than obvious that he needed the space, so they stayed silent as he made his way to his desk. However, when he simply stood there, staring at the computer, Laura took the opportunity to walk up next to him.

"You want to talk about it?" Her voice was soft, to keep the concussion from causing him any pain, but Cisco's face still twisted in discomfort.

"Not really." His clipped tone shouldn't have surprised her so much, but for some reason, it did. Still, Laura pushed aside the momentary surprise; walking away now, when the wounds were still fresh and emotions were running wild, wasn't going to help any of them.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"I'm _fine."_

"Cisco…"

"I just need some time alone, Laura. Okay?"

"Alright. Just…just let us know if you need anything."

There were so many other things she wanted to say to him. To tell him that it was going to be okay, that they could get through this, but she forced herself to stand by and watch as Cisco made his way towards his workspace without another word. He was hurt; she could understand that, considering how much faith he had put in Dr. Wells over the years. She knew exactly what it felt like to put so much trust and faith in someone and then have that trust shattered to pieces. But now wasn't the time to push him; the healing process had to happen on its own. Now, it was only a matter of time.

Now, all they could do was wait.

* * *

"Has Hartley made contact yet?"

Laura's head snapped up so fast she almost got whiplash, as Barry and Dr. Wells entered the room, the voice of her former employer startling her from her thoughts. They both looked agitated, and now that she was no longer distracted, Laura was just a tad disgruntled didn't have anything to keep her mind off of her mounting anxiety.

"What makes you so sure that he will?"

"He's _Hartley._ He's always wanted the last word. This time will be no different."

Laura couldn't exactly disagree with that. Coverage on the press conference was broadcasting on all the stations in the city; Caitlin had been kind enough to turn off the news feed after the first half-hour. However, despite the response that Dr. Wells' confession had sparked, Laura couldn't help but wonder if Hartley would finally step down. She wanted to be optimistic, she really did, but Hartley wasn't really the type of person to let bygones be bygones. However, as Barry joined her and Caitlin at the consoles, Laura caught Dr. Wells heading into Cisco's workspace, where her friend had been holed up for the past few hours.

For as long as she had known him, Cisco respected and idolized Dr. Wells to the _n_ th degree. To learn that the man he had trusted, the man who had taken him in, had put the lives of all of their colleagues in danger, must have been earth-shattering to Cisco. To see him hurt made her want nothing more than to comfort him, but she simply sat by and watched as Dr. Wells spoke to him in a tone she couldn't quite hear, his expression serious. There was a look in Cisco's eyes as Dr. Wells spoke, hesitant but not entirely closed off, that made her hope. Perhaps not everything was lost between them yet.

However, as the look on Cisco's face softened and the tension in his shoulders left, a strange, eerie whirring pierced the silence of the room. Laura flinched reflexively as a shower of white sparks shot from the ceiling. For a moment, nothing happened – and then Hartley spoke.

 ** _"That was a nice gambit, Harrison. But this game is far from over."_ **

"What do more you want, Hartley? I already gave my _mea culpa_ today." Dr. Wells' voice resounded throughout the room as he and Cisco joined them, looking more infuriated than she had ever seen him.

 ** _"Oh, Harrison. The city already hated you. You don't think I'd see that conference for the pathetic bishop sacrifice it was? I've played with you too many times to let you get away with that."_ **

**_"This is between you, me, and those little metahuman pets of yours you call heroes."_**

"You don't want to play for those kind of stakes with me, Hartley."

 ** _"You know what? I really, really do. So what do you say, Harrison? One last game of chess?"_**

"You and I both know that the winner of this game is the one who makes the next-to-last mistake, and you clearly have a move in mind."

 _ **"You're right. And I'm already at the board. So why don't you send in your precious scarlet and cobalt knights, while I take out a few pawns."** _

And the line went dead.


	24. Chapter 24: The Piper's Last Song

"Keep scanning for seismic activity, Cisco. If Hartley uses his gauntlets, it could cause tremors."

Cisco, his face set with determination that was quite telling of the thoughts running rampant through his mind, was already working by the time Dr. Wells had barked out the order. As Laura finished putting on her gear, Barry paced the entire length of the room, already decked out in full Flash gear, looking extremely agitated. The last words they'd heard from Hartley were still fresh in her mind, and she had to release a bit of frost to keep herself calm. Chess metaphors were never the subtlest, and she had a feeling that Hartley wasn't bluffing in the slightest.

"I've got him!" Laura was by Cisco's side in seconds, Barry on her heels, and she watched as the map he had pulled up zoomed on in an area that was only vaguely familiar.

"Sensors outside of the city are picking up quake activity but there's no fault line in sight. It has to be him."

"That looks like the Keystone Dam." Caitlin supplied, and Laura nodded in agreement – it was the closest thing nearby on the map. As she slipped on her goggles and Barry pulled his cowl up, Dr. Wells approached them. It was obvious that Hartley's words had struck a chord with him as well, but there was something else buried underneath that mask that Laura couldn't quite place.

"Don't underestimate him, either of you."

"That's why we've got you guys on the other end." Barry sent a reassuring smile to Dr. Wells, and the next thing Laura knew, her world was nothing but the lightning and the wind.

* * *

When Laura's world finally came to stop, a car was flying over the edge of the Keystone Dam.

Tens of cars were backed up on the road, and many people were still trying to get to safety as Hartley sauntered over the roofs of their vehicles. Laura had half-hoped that this time of night, the dam would be abandoned, but then again, Hartley wouldn't have chosen the location if it didn't make things harder for them. Barry was running down the side of the dam before she could blink, returning with the vehicle's shaken driver moments later, a distant crash and a dim flicker of an explosion following moments later.

However, before either of them had a chance to attack, Hartley unleashed a wave of sonic blasts at the cars in front of them. Laura's heart caught in her throat as she watched them fly into the air, the drivers' faces frozen in pure terror.

" _GO_!" She screamed at Barry, and as he took off, she thrust her hands out, cold flying from her fingertips to form a thick wall of ice between them and Hartley as Barry returned with the shaken drivers. As the civilians ran for safety, however, a high-pitched wail ran through the air, and Laura turned her back just as the wall shattered into hundreds of shards of ice. As he strolled towards them across the bridge, Hartley looked more confident than Laura had ever seen him, and both Laura and Barry just barely managed to dodge another round of sonic blasts. As she countered a blast aimed at her with a beam of cold, Laura's com line opened up.

"Really not a good time now, guys!" She managed, cursing the distraction as one of her blasts was countered by Hartley.

 ** _"_** ** _Laura, get out of there now!"_** The sudden sharp note of fear in Dr. Well's voice made her falter.

"What are you talking about?" Laura was distracted momentarily as one of Hartley's blasts nearly clipped her, but she recovered quickly enough to dive for cover behind an abandoned truck.

 ** _"_** ** _Cisco found out what Hartley stole from us – all of your molecular scans, yours and Barry's. Laura, you need to get out of there now!"_**

However, as Dr. Wells shouted in her ear, Laura caught sight of Barry ripping off Hartley's gloves and throwing him to the ground.

"It's over – you lose, Rathaway."

"You know," Laura stopped short at the smug tone in Hartley's voice, Dr. Well's frantic voice distant noise in her ear, "it's amazing that he replaced me with you. A complete idiot. I got you both with the same trick _…twice."_

Laura saw Hartley's gauntlets light up a moment too late, and the warning shout died in her throat as a bolt of pain shot through her head. She let out a cry of agony as the pain sent her to her knees, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Barry collapse to the ground as well. He was clearly in pain as well, gasping wordlessly as his knees buckled underneath his weight, the edges of his body blurring. Another searing streak ripped through her mind, and Laura let out a scream as she crumpled. It felt as if her entire body was trying to rip itself apart, and she had the distinct feeling that that was exactly what was happening as she coughed up a splatter of dark blood on the damp ground.

"H-Hartley…turn it o-off!" In the distance, she heard him laugh, and something solid suddenly connected with her ribs, sending her on to her back. Her vision filled with bursts of white light as a fresh, sharp pain filled her chest, and she had to fight to keep her eyes open, gasping for air as Hartley crouched over her.

"You know, I expected better from you, Laura. You could have been great – you could have been _someone_. And now, you're going to die, fighting battles for a man who won't lift a finger to fight in the war he started."

Laura wanted to say something, to beg for mercy, to spit in his face, but blood filled her mouth, her throat burning as she struggled to roll on to her side to cough out the coppery liquid. Her vision swam as she laid eyes on Barry, who still gasping in agony as he struggled against the pain they shared, coughing up strings of crimson blood as well.

"I can't say it hasn't been fun knowing you. I suppose you could say I might even _miss_ you." Hartley sneered above her, and Laura gasped aloud, a piercing pain filling her gut as she coughed up more blood. She was hardly even aware of the world around her now, the agony leaving her paralyzed on the ground.

"Goodbye, Laura. Say hi to Ronnie for me, won't you?"

Her vision was starting to darken, blurring faintly at the edges, and Laura blinked back tears as she stared up at the dark sky. It reminded her all too much of the night everything had changed, surrounded by flame and unable to move, to save herself. It was happening all over again, but now there wouldn't be any hope of rescue or survival. She was going to _die_ here, in the middle of nowhere, and as she finished her thought, Laura found herself unspeakably angry. It was one thing to let Hartley walk all over her when she couldn't fight back, but now? If she let him get away, if she let herself fail, he would win.

A harsh crackling sound filled Laura's ears as she rolled herself on to her front; she bit down hard on her lip to keep herself from screaming, but if it drew blood or not she could not tell. The crackling continued and Laura almost passed out as the pain lessened by a fraction, her arms trembling underneath her weight. Still, she forced herself to her knees, and even as the world faded in and out, Laura continued to fight against the tempting darkness. She could still see the familiar black figure walking away from her, and something in Laura ignited as she finally found herself on her feet. She could do this.

 _She could do this._

Every step forward shook her to the core, but Laura forced herself to keep going, no matter how much her body screamed at her to stop, to rest. With every step, the darkness faded away, and the harsh crackling soon overpowered the painful soundwaves. Soon, the only thing Laura was aware of was that Hartley had stopped, and she suppressed a growl as he turned around. For a second, he faltered, his eyes wide with shock, before then he grinned, his eyes lighting up with glee.

"I always knew there was more to you, Sanders. I knew that there was something you were hiding. If only you could see yourself now."

Laura didn't respond, and her eyes slipped closed as a wave of cold flooded her entire body. The feeling was exhilarating, and Laura met Hartley's eyes once more, the cold leeching away the pain in one fell swoop. For a second, the great Hartley Rathaway looked almost scared. Then, that fear fell away and a familiar whirring sound filled the air as he raised his gauntlets at her.

However, as he did so, Laura heard another high-pitched whine filling the air. Hartley's expression of triumph suddenly shifted into one of fear as the sound peaked, and he let out a shout of pain as his gauntlets started to spark. Laura watched as he tore them off, and her stomach lurched at the sight of the raw blistering on his hands. But as Hartley turned to face her, Laura was already there, and the last thing he saw coming was her fist. She had a strange sense of triumph as she made contact with his face, and for a split second their eyes met, before Hartley collapsed to the ground unconscious.

The faintest hints of frostbite were already forming at the edges of his jaw.

As she stood there, however, there was a crackling and a slight discomfort in her wrists, and Laura glanced down just in time to see her hands transform back into flesh and bone. Somehow, she couldn't even bring herself to care. She was alive, and so was her partner.

It was over.

They had won.

 _Checkmate._

* * *

"And _that_ is how we do it!"

Cisco was going crazy, Laura was certain, or at least having an aneurysm or a stroke. He looked as if he'd actually had a good seven hours of sleep and maybe a decent meal, but nobody at S.T.A.R. Labs was going to stop him from celebrating. Caitlin was practically beaming, and Laura knew that her friend never looked that happy to put away _any_ metahuman. Even Dr. Wells looked pleased, his usual stern expression replaced by something resembling a smile.

"So Hartley used our own coms against us?" Laura asked, still feeling a little light, and winced as Caitlin prodded her stomach with one gloved hand. There was a large, darkening bruise in the shape of a boot over her ribs where Hartley had kicked her, but a bit of cold applied to the area kept any residual pain at bay.

"Yep – the molecular scans he stole allowed him to find both your and Barry's natural frequencies, and he adjusted his gauntlets to target those frequencies through you earpieces. You're just lucky your organs weren't entirely sheared apart."

 _Amongst other things._ Laura mused silently, and pulled down her shirt as Caitlin finally finished her examination. She could still see her hands after she'd punched Hartley, just as smooth, as hard and as inhuman as the day that she had smashed her way out of that cell the Reverse Flash had trapped her in. Thankfully, Barry hadn't seen anything after she'd punched Hartley out cold, and Hartley, well, he hadn't exactly been in a talking mood. At least he was locked up in the Pipeline now, in a cell that had been specifically tailored to his area of expertise – no hearing aids were going to help him escape this time. She couldn't quite believe that he had gone down so easily, especially after the last time, but Laura had a feeling that Hartley wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Which meant, in the short run, they had won.

 _"_ _I knew there was more to you, Sanders. I knew that there was something you were hiding. If only you could see yourself now."_

As she watched her friends celebrate their victory, Laura found herself distracted by that moment back on the bridge. What _did_ Hartley know? What had he suspected? She had so many secrets now, it disturbed her to think that he even knew – or had looked into – one of them. And she was fairly certain that she had even more questions than secrets by now. It was disconcerting to think how much he could possibly know – how much power he had over if he knew the truth. The thought made her wrists ache, and Laura had to fight down a wave of nausea as an unwelcome thought of the future came to mind.

But that was over now. Whatever Hartley knew about her, he wouldn't be able to get to her now. At least, Laura hoped that was the case.

"Dr. Sanders – may I have a word?" Laura was abruptly pulled from her thoughts as Dr. Wells made his way over to her. Out of curiosity, she followed him out of the control room; when they finally emerged from the building, it was on one of the balconies that faced the city. For a long time, the two of them stood there, simply looking out at the lights of Central City, and just as Laura was beginning to enjoy the silence, he spoke:

"I wanted to thank you. For what you said, earlier."

"I'm glad I could help. I see Cisco and Caitlin are making eye contact with you again." He let out a chuckle at that, and Laura couldn't help a wry smile as she watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"You know, you were right."

"About what?"

"My mistakes. I have made many, many mistakes in the past, but it has always been my nature to seek out…loopholes, alternatives, instead of fixing it on my own. In some ways, you and Mr. Allen were just another way I could fix my mistakes without facing the problems that I created. I've hurt so many people through my ignorance, Laura, and I am ashamed to admit that I was ignorant of that fact myself."

When he didn't speak again for a long time, Laura turned her back to the city, and when she saw the distant look in Dr. Wells' eyes, unguarded by the glasses folded in his lap, Laura hesitated. Everything he said was true, she knew that. But a repentant man was far better than a man who refused to see his own flaws, and she had the feeling that her employer had come to understand that. For that, she could no longer hold anger against him.

"So, what do we do now?"

She could have sworn she saw her mentor smile as she spoke, and for some reason, Laura found that it no longer looked so abnormal on his face. In fact, it looked as if he had just been allowed to rest for the first time in many years.

"Now…now, we move on."

"That sounds good to me."

"...goodnight, Laura."

"Goodnight, Dr. Wells."

* * *

"Oh, Cisco, if only you knew, what our dear friend Dr. Sanders was really like. How…differently you would look at her."

"Keep talking, Hartley. You don't know anything about her."

"Well, you see Cisco, that's the thing – I know everything about her, which is more than I can say for you, Cisquito. I know how she spent the first thirteen years of her life in fear of her father. I know that Laura Sanders didn't exist on Earth up until seven years ago. I know a great deal about her, and I know just how much she hasn't told you."

"You're lying – all you've ever done is lie."

"Not about this, Cisco. No…I'm quite certain about this."

"I don't believe you."

"Well then, I guess you'll just have to see for yourself, won't you?"

"...goodbye, Hartley. Hope you enjoy life in prison."

 _"This isn't goodbye, Cisco. Not by a long shot."_

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Remember, reviews are welcome! Thanks for reading, you guys!**


	25. Chapter 25: Hide and Seek

Laura should have known it was a bad sign when she woke to her phone ringing obnoxiously loudly.

For several seconds, she stared at her phone from underneath the covers, contemplating letting it go to voicemail and allowing herself just a few more minutes of sleep, but a good thirty seconds later and it was still ringing. With a weary sigh, she sat up as best as she could, wincing as the fading bruise on her ribs pressed against the mattress, and accepted the call.

"Who is this?"

 _"_ _Laura? Laura Sanders?"_

It took a moment for Laura to place the voice through the haze of sleep still hanging over her. But when it finally clicked in her mind, she couldn't hold back the gasp as she struggled to sit upright in bed.

"David? Is it really you?"

 _"_ _Yeah, it's me! It's been a while, I guess, huh?"_

"Only about three years. Dave, it's great to hear from you and all, but if you don't mind me asking, why're you calling? I haven't heard from you since you got that job with the police in Blüdhaven."

 _"_ _Laura, did you honestly forget what day it is? I guess spending all those days cooped up in that lab of yours has finally turned your brain to mush."_

For a second, Laura was clueless. As she wracked her mind for clues to the mystery that David had posed her, her eyes landed on the calendar she had bought herself at the beginning of the year, held up on her closet door with a lightning magnetic clip, a gag gift from Cisco. Still holding the phone, she climbed out of bed and made her way over to the closet. Despite her busy schedule, Laura was still pleased to see that she had free time in her life to relax, before her eyes landed on the current date.

"Ah, fuck."

 _"Happy birthday, Laura."_

"You bastard." Despite the shame that she felt for forgetting her birthday, of all things, Laura couldn't hold back a laugh as her former foster brother burst into a fit of laughter on the other end of the phone. When he finally calmed down enough to talk again without giggling in her ear, Laura was already in the kitchen making herself a pot of coffee, the city slowly coming to life outside her window. She winced a bit as her hand brushed the side of the boiling pot, but a quick burst of cold tempered a burn before it could form.

 _"_ _So, you got anything planned for your big twenty-six?"_

"Not really. I really did forget my birthday, so I guess you can finally tell Christine I'm a workaholic." She could practically hear David wince on the other end of the phone, and even she knew that forgetting her own birthday was a bit concerning. There hadn't really been a pressing need for her to celebrate for quite a while, and with everything that had happened recently, one more trip around the sun just seemed trivial. Besides, it wasn't as if her birthdays had ever been a cause for celebration.

 _"_ _Well, I suppose since I'm already coming to Central City today to visit Mom and Dad for the weekend, I could drop by, take you out to dinner…"_

"David, I'm turning twenty-six, not fifty. You don't have to do anything, really."

 _"_ _Did I mention that there's a place in town that serves the most divine chocolate mousse cake?"_

Well, in that case…

"What time did you say you were coming?"

* * *

"What do we have, Barry?"

"Clay Parker, in Iron Heights for organized crime and battery charges, vanished last night from his prison cell. No signs of forced exit, and no signs that it was someone on the inside."

"Interesting," Laura muttered from behind her portable mug as she took a swig of steaming coffee, "so why is it coming to S.T.A.R. Labs?"

That seemed to be the question of the hour, Laura mused, as she sat back in her chair and carefully took note of just how distracted Barry seemed. As they waited for the others to arrive, ever so often her partner's eyes would suddenly become distant, almost as if he were remembering something, though whether those memories were unpleasant or not she couldn't tell. However, her question was answered when Barry pulled out from his kit a small vial of liquid. As Laura stood to get a closer look, she could see tiny flecks of some sort of black residue lining the walls of the vial, almost like fine iron shavings. The closer she looked, however, the more it seemed that the pieces of residue were moving from place to place, and she stole a quick glance at her partner around the vial.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Don't worry, you're not crazy. I've been trying to find a way to look at those things without damaging them, but there's just no telling what will happen if we do."

However, as she held the vial in her hand, Laura had an idea. A short burst of cold fled her hands and into the vial where she held it, and within seconds, the particles were stock still in the frozen liquid. She wasn't exactly sure if there was going to be any lasting damage, but at least now they could get started on figuring out what exactly had happened to their missing convict.

"Let's get to work."

By the time everyone else arrived, Caitlin, Cisco, Dr. Wells and Joe collectively looking more rested than Laura felt, there was a sample of the residue ready for action. They had had to improvise with a viewing slide and a Petri dish to keep the particles from 'escaping' – Barry's words, not hers – but, in the end, they finally had something that they could use. However, the moment that the image of the particles came to life on one of the larger screens, the entire room went quiet.

"Are we seeing this right?" Cisco muttered under his breath, his eyes glued to the screen. Laura wanted to reply, but she could only watch silently in awe as the particles on the screen jumped from place to place. All it took was the span of one blink, and then one of those black specks would be gone.

"Not even Barry's cells move this fast. I've never seen anything like this before."

"So Clay Parker _is_ a metahuman."

"About that – the particles Barry collected from Iron Heights do contain some of Clay Parker's DNA, it also contains DNA of an unknown woman."

"Cisco," Laura said as she turned, "can you compare it against the CCPD database? If someone got Parker out, they might have a record."

"I've got it." He announced barely a minute later, and everyone resumed their positions as the picture of a young woman's rap sheet filled the screen.

"Name's Shawna Baez. Everything she's done has mostly just been petty crimes, but this girl really likes to party. There's a list of disorderly conducts a mile long from almost every bar in the city. Dang, I could have used a friend like her in college." Cisco muttered under his breath, and Laura suppressed the urge to scold him. However, as she did so, she caught her friend's eye for just a moment. It was almost like receiving a shock, the way Cisco froze, his smile fading into a thin line of a frown. Part of her was curious about what she had done to elicit that reaction, but there was a larger part of her that needed to find Clay and Shawna before they seriously hurt anybody.

Her questions could wait.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me. She's a _teleporter_?"

Laura honestly felt like strangling Barry in that moment, but the bullet wound that marked the side of his neck told her that that would have to wait. They'd had little success in trying to find their elusive Bonnie and Clyde, but when the call had come in about a robbery by a couple matching Baez's and Parkers' descriptions, Laura had had little chance to stop Barry from going alone. Now, she was seriously regretting not just freezing him to the floor to get him to slow down, and judging by the remorseful expression on his face, he was regretting his choice as well.

"Like the 'beam up Shawna' kind?" Barry grimaced and nodded as Caitlin swabbed the already scabbing wound with more alcohol. Laura couldn't help but be grateful that that was the most he had been injured, considering how close Clay Parker had gotten to making her a solo hero. Still, Laura couldn't help but see the irony in the fact that Shawna Baez had become the best thing a small-time criminal could ever hope to be.

"I should have seen it. Quantum entanglement – the ability to manipulate inter-connective particles over an infinite distance. Or as Einstein put it: spooky action at a distance." Dr. Wells looked positively excited, almost ecstatic, as he approached the three of them. Laura had to admit that the look didn't provoke the most positive of feelings in her, but she kept her thoughts to herself as Barry shirked his sweater back on.

"Well, whatever it was, it was frustrating. Every time I'd get even close, she'd disappear. It was almost like we were playing a game of-"

"Peekaboo!"

All heads turned to Caitlin as she burst out the name, and Laura was pleased to see her friend looked more than a little proud of herself. She hadn't really seen Caitlin smile like that in a long time, and it felt good to see it again. However, the glee on her face faded a bit in the awkward silence that followed.

"What? Can't I name one?"

"Of course – can't let Cisco have all the fun." Laura didn't think it was possible for Caitlin's smile to grow even brighter, but her friend somehow managed it anyways. Barry, on the other hand, didn't seem at all enthused the whole situation.

"So, how am I going to catch this Peekaboo if I can't even tell where she's going to be one second from the next? I'm never going to be able to move as fast as she does."

"Everyone, even metahumans, has their limits, Mr. Allen. Now that we know what Shawna's abilities are, we can work towards discovering those limits." Laura could see the disbelief on Barry's face, and she would have pitied him if she wasn't already aware of just how frustratingly stubborn her partner could be. However, as she watched him go, apparently to help Iris with some sort of project of hers, Laura realized just how close it was getting to the time of her rendezvous with David. Quietly swearing to herself, she turned towards Caitlin, who was already preparing for a night spent in the lab.

"Caitlin, Dr. Wells, are you going to be okay by yourself for a couple of hours?"

Her friend's brow furrowed slightly in confusion before smoothing out. "Why?"

"It's just that…I have dinner tonight, with a friend from out of town. It's really last minute, but I'll get back as quickly as I can, I promise."

"Oh – that's okay. Don't worry, Dr. Wells and I will be fine be ourselves."

"Are you sure? I can postpone."

"No. You're going to go have dinner with your friend, and you'll come back tomorrow to help with the case. Okay?"

"Thanks, Caitlin. I owe you one."

Barely an hour later, Laura found herself struggling to suffocate the cold building up in her hands as she stepped out of a cab on to one of the finer streets in Central City. She didn't understand why she was so anxious – she had lived with the Infantinos for almost a full year before she'd been moved along to another family. David and Christine had been the closest friends she'd made in her entire time in the foster care system. It had taken effort for her to let down the walls she'd built up, but by the time she had, David and the Infantinos were waiting with open arms. There was no reason for her to be nervous.

Well, except for the fact that she was a metahuman, could likely cause a person to lose their fingers from frostbite simply by shaking their hand, and spent her days off fighting crime as a self-proclaimed vigilante alongside, as some would say, the fastest man alive.

Okay, so maybe she did have a reason or two to be nervous.

Laura forced those thoughts from her head and brushed the frost from her purse as she approached the restaurant. It was a small Italian place, with lighting meant to be easy on the eyes and soft, classical music playing in the background, and Laura was glad that she had dressed appropriately for the occasion. David was waiting for her at the door, looking almost exactly as he had the last time they had seen each other, if only just a bit taller, and with a bit more muscle. The wavy black hair that he had never managed to keep under wraps was still as unruly as ever, just like the toothy grin he gave her when he finally caught sight of her.

"Laura! It's great to see you – you look good."

"You too, David. Looks like your dad finally taught you how to wear a suit properly." She replied warmly as he folded her into a hug, and when they finally separated, Laura found that the cold in her hands was no longer pressing for release. Inside, a waiter seated them both at a quiet table in the back, and Laura couldn't help herself from smiling at David from across the table as they took their seats.

"I can't believe you did all of this, David."

"I just wanted to do something nice for you, especially after, you know, your…accident."

 _Crap._

Laura suddenly found herself speechless, and a rush of shame filled her mind as she realized that it wouldn't have been that difficult for her foster brother to find out what had happened. And to think that she hadn't even called to tell him that she was okay; she couldn't even imagine how that must have felt. He had been one of her closest foster siblings, his family one of the few that she had hoped would adopt her if they had the chance, and she hadn't even _remembered_ to call him. She couldn't even _begin_ to remember the last time they had actually spoken face-to-face.

"David, I-I'm so sorry, I should have called-"

"Laura, it's _fine_ ," her shame abated some at the easy smile on his face, but it didn't fade away completely, "I'm just glad that you're alright."

Underneath the table, the frost that had begun to form on the edge of Laura's fingertips stopped.

The rest of the evening was a breeze compared to their little mishap, and Laura found herself stifling laughter multiple times as David recounted his tales of working with the Blüdhaven police. It reminded her all too much of the time she'd spent with the Infantoni family, when David and Christine would sneak into Laura's room. When it came time for him to hear how the past year of her life had been, Laura hesitated only for a moment. It was easy enough to leave out the part of her life that had turned her into a walking icebox, though David's interest did pique when she mentioned her work with the CCPD. Laura found herself at ease telling David about the newer aspects of her life, such as the crime scenes that she visited almost daily, and it was oddly comforting for her to know that they had one more thing in common.

"So, this partner of yours – what's he like?"

"Grayson? A bit of a stubborn ass, to be honest. But he's got a good heart, and he wants to do good things. Somehow, that just makes me hate him even more."

"You don't mean that." The corner of David's mouth twitched upwards as he sat back in his chair, rolling his eyes, though Laura could tell that her words had hit a chord. Whoever this Grayson person was, it was obvious that he was close to her former foster brother.

"I guess not; it's just a bit annoying the way he wants to fix everything. Admirable, but annoying."

"I specifically remember a certain someone dressing up as a superhero two Halloweens in a row."

"Hey, I told you that was a phase and that we would never mention that to anyone ever again."

"Fairly certain that doesn't apply to you."

"Right. So, how do you feel about dessert?"

Even the promise of chocolate couldn't keep Laura from grinning at David from across the table. When the waitress came back around, David flagged her down to order the cake that Laura had heard so much about. However, just as he excused himself to go to the bathroom, Laura was distracted by the buzzing of her phone. It took only a second for her to find it among the few other things she had put in her purse, and she answered it without a second thought.

"Laura Sanders."

 ** _"L-Laura – need your – your help-"_**

Laura's blood went cold, and the napkin in her lap started to freeze as she gripped at it.

"Cisco, where are you? What's going on?"

 ** _"CCPD – lab – Hartley – hurry-"_**

Before the call had even ended, Laura was on her feet, dessert forgotten, and was making her towards the front of the restaurant. It didn't take long for her to pay for both her and David, nor to flag down a cab, but as she sat in the back seat of the vehicle as it headed towards the CCPD, Laura couldn't help but feel as if time were slowing down. Frost formed in jagged shapes where she clutched at her purse and on her phone as she texted David an apology, and Laura fought to contain the worry that bubbled up inside of her. Cisco had sounded as if he were in pain when he'd called; it made her sick to think of what might be happening to him. When the car finally pulled up in front of the precinct, Laura ran inside almost faster than Barry after paying the driver, unable to wait another moment.

"Cisco? Cisco, where are you?" Laura called into the lab as she stepped out from the elevator. It was silent for a moment, the lights of the city shining in through the windows, before a short, quiet groan caught her attention. A few steps into the room brought Cisco into view, and Laura's heart almost gave out when she saw him, doubled over at her desk, clutching at his ribs, the smashed remains of a remote lying nearby. His eyes snapped open as she approached, and for a second, Laura could have sworn that Cisco almost looked scared. Forgoing her curiosity, Laura proceeded to sit him down and check him over for injuries, and applied a bag of ice to his ribs where a bruise was starting to form; however, once that all was over, Laura knew that it was time for answers.

"Cisco. What happened?"

Cisco hesitated, his eyes averting her own as he leant against her desk, one of his hand still pressing the bag of ice to his ribs. He was the last person she wanted to interrogate, but it seemed that he had finally surrendered when he spoke in a low voice.

"I let Hartley out of the Pipeline."

 _What?_

"I'm sorry."

For a moment, Laura didn't know what to do, what to say. Cisco was still avoiding her gaze, and as she let his words sink in, Laura knew that there was far more to the story. With a heavy sigh, she pulled out the chair from Barry's desk and sat herself down in front of Cisco, making it almost impossible to avoid her gaze.

"Talk. _Now_."

It was still dark when Cisco finally stopped talking, though Laura knew that it was probably closer to morning than the dark skies would lead her to believe. She had listened the entire time, coaxing Cisco for more when he felt the need to keep something from her or stall, but in the end, she had gotten twhat she needed. There was still more that he hadn't shared, judging by the way his fingers played with the edge of his sweater, but Laura knew those things, those secrets, were his to keep. It wasn't to say that she understood all of it, but at least there weren't going to be any further communication problems between them.

"I'm sorry," Cisco mumbled into his sleeve as he rubbed at his bleary eyes, and Laura felt a pang of sympathy for him, "I was stupid to trust Hartley."

"Hey, hey, none of that," She scolded him lightly, reaching out for his hand, "Hartley's an asshole and you know that."

"Which is why I should have seen it coming."

"Don't you _dare_ ," she snapped, and for a moment, Cisco almost looked fearful of her, "you did what you thought was right, and none of us are going to judge you for that. But I have to ask, Cisco: why?"

"I – I took a chance. I haven't told Caitlin or Dr. Wells, but I – I sealed Ronnie into the accelerator, that night. He told me to wait two minutes; he said he would be back. He didn't come back, Laura. I thought – I thought if I could find him, if I could fix him, then maybe I could make up for making him the way he is." Cisco sounded so despondent that Laura couldn't wait another second before she reached forward, pulling him into a hug as his breath hitched. She could hear him fight to keep tears at bay as he shuddered in his arms, and Laura wished she could just take all of Cisco's guilt and lock it away permanently.

"Cisco, listen to me. None of that was your fault. Nobody could have known what would happen that night. Ronnie made his choice, and you made yours. You did what you thought was right, and Ronnie wouldn't blame you for that. Caitlin wouldn't blame you either. So, don't blame yourself if they wouldn't, okay?"

"…okay."

"Good; now, let's get you home."

* * *

The sun was just starting to set the next day when Laura received a text from Cisco, asking him to meet her at his place. Shawna Baez was safely locked up in the pipeline, and Laura couldn't help but sympathize with the other woman. Loving someone that deeply, putting that much trust in another person, only to have all of that thrown away in the blink of an eye, was devastating enough even when you weren't a criminal. But for Clay to leave Shawna to the mercy of the police, and run off with the money, that was just cruel.

On a lighter note, Cisco had found the courage to tell the others about his deal with Hartley, as well as what had happened the night of the incident, and she was immensely glad that neither of their friends, especially Caitlin, were angry with him. Cisco had a nasty habit of jumping to conclusions when it came to serious matters. It hadn't taken much for her to deduce that he had expected her to be angry when she'd arrived the night before, for trusting Hartley. But despite the higher points of the day, something was still bothering Laura.

What Hartley had told Cisco about Ronnie and Martin Stein, the fact that the two of them had possibly been fused – she wasn't quite sure she understood what role F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. played in all of this, but at least they had some answers now, as vague as they were. At least Caitlin had answers now.

"You know, I can't believe I've never been to your place before." Laura mused aloud as she slipped off her shoes, the sound of bottles clinking together drifting out from Cisco's kitchen.

"I know, right?" She took the beer bottle from Cisco as he appeared in the hall, his eyes dancing with a familiar glint of mirth that had been conspicuously absent for the past few days. She liked the atmosphere of the apartment, though the considerable size difference between it and her own made her feel a bit claustrophobic. It was definitely Cisco's apartment, judging by the amount of clutter that seemed to occupy every inch of available space and the number of sci-fi posters lining the walls, but Laura found herself oddly comforted by it. There was a small table for two by the stove, so Laura took a seat, shrugging off her coat and hanging it over the chair as Cisco propped open a window.

"How're your ribs doing?"

"Pretty good – it only hurts when I breath and move. I think we're going to have matching bruises."

"Don't get too excited; pretty sure Caitlin's going to put handcuff you to your bed if you keep this up."

"Kinky."

"Shut up. Just remember, you need to keep ice on that."

"Very funny."

"I'd like to think so. So, Cisco, what's this about?"

"What's what about?"

It was clear from the way his face froze momentarily that Cisco had hoped she hadn't seen through his façade, but Laura wasn't that easy to fool. She had learned how to see through deception very early on, which wasn't exactly healthy considering how she'd had to learn it. It was at times like this, however, that Laura found her abilities of perception to be the most useful. There was something bothering her friend, and Laura knew that if she didn't push now, she might never find out what it was.

"I'm not blind, Cisco. I'm fairly certain that this isn't just a friendly chat, and judging by what happened last night, you have something serious on your mind."

"What makes you say that?" Laura could have sworn that his voice had risen a few pitches.

"Francisco Ramon, I _swear_ to God–"

"Alright, fine!" The near-shout startled her into nearly jumping in her seat, but Laura recovered just in time to see Cisco slouch in his chair, all pretence gone in a flash. It was some time before he spoke up, but Laura waited patiently until he was ready.

"Listen – when I went to go see Hartley in the Pipeline after you and Barry brought him in, he said some things about you. I wanted to think they were nothing but then I started to think about them. And I know that I have no right to ask, but I couldn't stop thinking about it." He finished his sentence almost too fast for her to comprehend, but Laura had learned how to decipher the words that blurred together whenever her partner got too excited. She knew there was no malicious intent behind Cisco's words, but for some reason, a small pit of dread had started to form in her stomach.

"Cisco…what did Hartley tell you?"

"He said that you had secrets," Laura's heart stopped as she suddenly realized what Cisco was so worried about, "and that I would look at you differently if I really knew what they were."

 _Oh._

 _Oh, God._

It all made sense. Hartley _knew._ He knew everything, and distantly, Laura knew that she should have seen it coming. He'd probably hacked the CCPD and found her files, and the thought that someone like Hartley Rathaway could know everything about her made her sick. But in a completely Hartley-esque fashion, instead of telling Cisco what he knew outright, the Pied Piper had chosen to plant a seed of doubt in Cisco's mind. It was just another cruel twist of the knife in the wound that he had made by attacking his parent's company in the first place, and she cursed Hartley silently as she sat there, the frantic beating of her heart drowning out every thought in her head. Now, Laura could understand just why Cisco seemed so hesitant to confront her.

"I-it's okay if you don't want to tell me, I just t-thought if you did want to…" Laura hadn't even been aware that Cisco was still talking, and she looked up to see that he had tucked his chin into chest, almost as if he were bracing himself. A wave of nausea ran through her when she realized that he expected her to be angry – he expected the worst, and it belatedly dawned on her that that was exactly Hartley what had wanted from all of this. Slowly, she let go of her bottle, the taste of alcohol bitter in her mouth, and clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking.

"Hartley's right." Cisco let out a shaky sigh, but Laura pushed on.

"I do have secrets, Cisco. I've always had secrets, and I'm always going to have secrets. It's who I am, and I'm not sure that I can change that. Some of them are harmless, little things, really, but there are others…," Laura's breath hitched in her throat, and her fingers sought out the underside of her bicep as she felt the world start to close in, "you really would look at me differently if you knew those ones, Cisco."

"You don't know that."

Her fingers brushed across the underside of her bicep, trembling beyond her control, but the feeling that she was being trapped, that the world was closing in on her, was still building. It had been years since she had felt so out of control that she'd needed to cope this way, but the familiar symptoms of a panic attack were becoming more and more apparent and she wasn't about to let Cisco see that side of her. She _couldn't_ let him see that side of her.

Laura began to count.

 _One, two-_

"Maybe I don't. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't know if I can take that chance."

 _-three, four, five-_

"But I do want you to know something."

"…what is it?"

"Whatever…the secrets that I have, they will come out eventually. I know that now, and as much as I want to keep that from happening, as much I have tried to keep that from happening, I know that I'm not going to be able to stop it. It's something I've accepted, and it's for the best that I don't fight it. So when my secrets – any of them, all of them – do come out, I want you to know that you will only hear them from me. You will learn my secrets from me, because I will trust you with those secrets, Cisco. I _trust_ you, and keeping secrets from you does not mean that I don't, okay?"

"I trust you, Cisco. Do you understand?"

 _-six, seven-_

The following silence was heavy and tangible, and Laura couldn't help but close her eyes as it stretched on, her fingers trembling where they clamped down on her bicep. It was only when Cisco finally spoke did she look; the look in his eyes wasn't one of anger, as she had come to expect over the years, but acceptance. She didn't know else what to do underneath that gaze but wait.

Finally, Cisco spoke.

"I – I understand."

And he _meant_ it.

 _-eight, nine-_

"…thank you, Cisco. Thank you."

Laura didn't understand why her eyes were burning.

 _-ten._

"…anytime."

* * *

Later that night, as she sat beside Cisco on his couch, arguing over the semantics of the latest episode of _Doctor Who_ with boxes of Chinese food laid out on the coffee table, Laura could tell that something that changed.

Nothing drastic, and nothing too important, but something had most definitely changed. Cisco wasn't quiet, nor was he being careful, and it felt like heaven to see that blinding grin over and over again as the hours slipped by. There were still plenty of things left unsaid, that much was clear, but for the moment, it felt as if they were free. It was both comforting and energizing, to feel this way even after all she had told him, and Laura wasn't quite sure that she ever wanted the feeling to end.

And right then, Laura knew that when her secrets finally came out, then at least she would have memories to remember her friends by once they did.

But for now, Laura was happy to enjoy what was left of her birthday.

* * *

 _Secrets, silent, stony sit in the dark palaces of both our hearts: secrets weary of their tyranny: tyrants willing to be dethroned._

\- _James Joyce_

 **Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been so long, but since I've gotten off school, everything's been a little bit hectic. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter, and stay tuned for more!**


	26. Chapter 26: The Man Who Once Was

Laura was bored.

Well, bored was a bit of an understatement.

Laura was _restless_.

The past week had been rather productive in terms of her day job. All pending case files and paperwork for the week were done, which had earned her wishes of a well weekend from Joe and Eddie. The two detectives had been swamped for weeks, and the relief was evident on their faces when she dropped off her work on her way out. Her night job was also doing well – Barry took every call Cisco and Caitlin threw at them during the day, making sure that at least one of them stayed at the lab, and they worked together at night, coordinating through the coms. However, tonight, Barry was on a date with someone named Linda Park, a reporter for Central City Picture News, and Laura would have been lying if she said she didn't enjoy the blush that spread across his face when Cisco teased him. However, while Laura knew that it would only be a matter of time before she would be back to the grind again, she'd been rather relieved to have some time off.

Unfortunately, that feeling had only lasted about two hours.

"Hey there, handsome."

The man in the ski mask whipped around in the darkened front of the store, jumping at least three feet into the air when he saw Laura. He'd been heading towards the back when she'd walked in from the door he'd left open, and to say that he was surprised to see her was an understatement. He raised the gun in his right hand, but his hands shook so hard that Laura easily grabbed it out of his hand, disarming it just as her instructor at the precinct had taught her. The magazine fell out of the gun and hit the ground the moment she pressed the release, making a clattering noise that seemed deafening in the empty building, and for several long moments, the two of them just stared at each other in the darkness.

"You're under arrest?" Laura offered with a shrug, and before she could even blink, the man had barrelled past her and was out the back door.

"Oh, for Pete's sake. Why do they always run?" She muttered under her breath before turning on her heel to take off after him. Training both at S.T.A.R. Labs and at the precinct had proved useful in building up her endurance, and Laura was only mildly surprised to find that she had little trouble keeping up with the robber. Still, fear was a powerful determinant, and frustratingly, the man managed to stay one step ahead of her the entire time as she chased him through alley after alley. However, when both her lungs and her legs started to burn, Laura stopped, letting the man run forward for a few counts before she aimed a quick shot of cold right at the middle of his back. He went down like a rock the moment it hit him, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

Looked like the target practice was paying off nicely as well.

By the time she dragged the robber back to the bank and iced him safely to the wall, Laura was ready to call it a night. She briefly considered spending the night to herself, curled up on her couch with a bowl of popcorn and a movie, but she knew full well that Caitlin and Cisco would probably break down her door and drag her out if she did that. She'd never been the most sociable person, though she was grateful for friends that tolerated a minimal degree of introversion. However, just as Laura stepped out into the alley behind the store, the familiar sound of a police siren caught her attention.

"Cisco? Should I be worried?"

 ** _"_** ** _Hold on…ah, man."_**

"What is it?"

 ** _"_** ** _Looks like the alarms at Concordance Research went off – again. I swear, if they would just let me take a look at their system-"_**

"Cisco, I'm fairly certain that the last time you 'looked' at Concordance's security system you nearly set the director's hair on fire and flooded his office. And that was before you managed to shut off all the power in the building for a whole week."

 ** _"_** ** _Wh-how did you find out about that?"_**

"Please – by the time you got back, everyone knew about it, and then they kept talking about it for another three weeks. There was no way I could have _not_ heard about it. Anyways, forget about it. How do you feel about breaking out the projector tonight when I get back?"

 ** _"_** ** _Interesting…caramel on the popcorn and Empire Strikes Back?"_**

"Caramel on the popcorn but we're watching A New Hope – you know you always get excited after watching the Cloud City duel."

 ** _"_** ** _Deal. I'll let Barry know you need a pick up."_**

She could practically hear him smiling all the way back.

* * *

"Looks like your date went well."

Barry's head shot up as Laura spoke, and she chuckled at the utter shock that fell over his face. It had become a regular occurrence that on their days off, either one or both of them would meet Cisco and Caitlin at Jitters before heading off to their second 'job'. From the moment she'd stepped inside, however, her partner had been staring off into the distance with a blissful look on his face. He hadn't even noticed when a whole minute had passed of her simply standing there and watching him, the grin on her face growing with every passing second. When he finally recovered from the sudden shock, Laura could have sworn that her fellow lab tech looked sheepish.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Hey, I may not go on many dates, but that doesn't mean I don't know what it looks like when one goes well."

The smile that replaced the grimace on Barry's face was almost worth the minute she had spent standing in front of him. Just as the morning rush started to pick up, the rest of their small team entered the building. Caitlin looked pleasantly rested, just as Laura suspected she would be, though the tired rings underneath Cisco's eyes weren't exactly a surprise. As she followed Caitlin and Barry up to the second level of the café, Laura took a second to glance back at Cisco, grinning at him knowingly from a step above.

"You watched the entire series after we left, didn't you?"

"I couldn't help it!" Cisco replied with a mock scowl, and Laura rolled her eyes as she continued up the stairs. She was starting to regret choosing A New Hope for the movie last night; she should have known that any Star Wars movie would have gotten him riled up. Though there was no particular series in the movie collection at S.T.A.R. that Cisco _didn't_ get excited over.

As the four of them found seats at an empty table upstairs, the topic of conversation switched to Barry's date. Cisco and Caitlin did their best to get their point as plainly across as they could, which was almost worth the way that Barry's face went redder than his suit when Cisco started listing everything he would have to do to 'cool down'.

"Guys, come on – it's just a second date!"

"Second date? With who?"

The way Barry's head shot up when he heard Iris almost gave Laura whiplash, and she snuck a knowing glance at Cisco before turning her attention back to the pair.

"Uh, Linda. Linda Park, the sports reporter."

Laura could have cut the tension in between Iris and Barry with a knife, and as Iris awkwardly congratulated Barry on his date with Linda, Laura felt like that would have been the best option. Luckily, for the rest of them, the moment passed as quickly as it had arrived. However, when the conversation finally hit a lull, Cisco's phone rang sharply, and as he turned away to answer the call, Laura turned her attention back to Barry and Iris. She couldn't quite place what silent conversation was going on between them, and even as Barry turned to sneak a glance at Cisco, Iris' gaze still lingered on Barry's back.

"Hey, sorry, but I gotta help out a friend." Laura and Barry shared a glance as Cisco suddenly stood up, pushing past Iris and making headway for the stairs.

"Everything okay? We just got here."

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. I'll see you guys later, okay?" And without even a glance back, Cisco was gone. For a moment, Laura didn't know what to think; it wasn't like Cisco to leave so abruptly without an explanation. Still, she couldn't but feel as if something else had caused him to leave. However, just as Laura turned back to her friends, the news reporter on the nearest TV caught her attention.

 _"_ _Breaking news today – late last night, Concordance Research scientist Quentin Quale was attacked. Dr. Quale is currently suffering from several third-degree burns, and has been admitted to Central City Hospital in critical condition. In other news, several eyewitnesses have claimed to have seen the so-called 'Burning Man' in the area around the time that Dr. Quale was attacked."_

 _"_ _That's all for now. We'll be back right after the break with more on the situation."_

* * *

The Burning Man. That's what the whole city was calling Ronnie – or Martin Stein, if Hartley's information he'd so generously gifted them was plausible. The jury was still out on that one, unfortunately, considering the fact that he had tried to kill them all. And several civilians.

Still. Quentin Quale, the scientist Ronnie – or Stein – had attacked, was now in the hospital with life-threatening injuries, and there was still no word on whether or not he would make it through surgery. As much as Laura wanted, _hoped_ , for there to be another way, Dr. Wells was right; in his current state, the Burning Man was a danger to Central City, even if he wasn't acting on malicious intent. No matter who was in control of Ronnie's body now, something needed to be done before he hurt anybody else. They could only hope that it wouldn't come to that.

"Cait? You in here?"

The room was dark and quiet as Laura cracked the door open, but she could make out the silhouette of Caitlin's form curled up against the opposite wall. Caitlin jumped a bit in surprise as light flooded into the room, and Laura felt a knot of despair form in her chest when she saw that Caitlin's eyes were wet. Without a word, Laura closed the door behind her and took a seat beside Caitlin on the floor, keeping her distance but sitting close enough for Caitlin to bridge the gap if she wanted to.

It was a while before her friend spoke.

"I don't know if I can do it."

"Find Ronnie?"

"He's – he's not Ronnie anymore." Laura winced at the frigid tone in Caitlin's voice, but she didn't back down.

"I…I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you at Christmas."

"…you know when he spoke to me, that night? It was almost as if there were another person. It didn't sound at all like Ronnie – but I thought it was just because he was, you know-"

"Different?" Laura finished, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah. But now I-we know better. Now we know that Ronnie isn't in there."

Even with the door closed and the lights shut, Laura could see the anguished expression on Caitlin's face. She'd experienced loss early on, but at that age, a child could hardly comprehend the semantics of life and death. But to lose the person you loved the most, only to find out that the person they were had been erased, was something that Laura couldn't exactly fathom. With a sigh, she reached out for Caitlin's hand, and felt a swell of relief in her chest when Caitlin took it. Laura didn't pull back when Caitlin reached out for a hug, and let herself be pulled in close. If she felt her shirt grow damp where Caitlin's face pressed into her shoulder, Laura didn't have the gall to mention it. When Caitlin finally pulled away, her eyes were still shining, but there was a small, watery smile that hadn't been there before.

"Thank you, Laura."

"Anytime."

* * *

Martin Stein, Laura had to admit, was a very accomplished man. Even Dr. Wells' face didn't hold its usual iron-clad cynicism as his eyes roamed over the display of trophies in the Stein's dining room, though Laura was certain that it had been replaced by jealousy. Unlike most recipients of the Conway Prize for Scientific Advancement, there was no trophy case to hold the awards where they sat on the server, though the house itself was understated, yet seemed had a rather tasteful air, unlike Dr. Wells' home.

As far as public record went, the Steins had never had children, and the large house just seemed to be for the two of them, though Laura had to imagine that a marriage that had lasted over forty years could fill a house all on its own. Still, it felt empty in a way, and the pinched look on Clarissa Stein's face as she spoke about her husband told her a great deal about their relationship.

As Barry and Clarissa talked, Laura made her way through the rest of the main floor, glancing briefly at the many pictures that still decorated the house, even a year after Stein's disappearance. She wondered what it must be like, to love someone so deeply that you could hardly bear to let them go. In the living room, the patio door was cracked open, and Laura snuck a glance back to make sure everything was still okay before making her way outside. The first thing she noticed was that there was a faint burning smell, just barely noticeable in the cool air of spring. There were only a few things that could be burning at this time of year, and Laura was fairly certain that Clarissa neither smoked nor lit bonfires. It wasn't that difficult for Laura to find the source of the scent, just a few feet behind a hedge on the edge of the property.

Burnt circles of grass littered the area behind the edge, almost making it look like a warzone; as if landmines had been laid there. If she thought hard enough, she could imagine a pair of footprints between the circles of scorched grass. When she finally looked, it was no surprise that Laura could see that the spot was in direct view of what could only be the master bedroom, the hedges providing cover for whoever might have hid there.

And Laura had a pretty good idea who that was.

 ** _"It appears that both Ronnie and Professor Stein have something in common – they both feel drawn to the women they love."_** Dr. Wells mused from the front seat of the van, his voice slightly muffled by the telltale crinkling of a Big Belly Burger wrapper. After the discovery of the burn marks, Laura had returned to the house to learn that Stein had indeed come back about a month after the particle accelerator exploded. Of course, his wife hadn't recognized him, but that was guaranteed, considering the fact that he was inhabiting another man's body. Clarissa had been more than happy to offer them her help, although Laura couldn't help but wonder if their search for both men would ultimately dash the burgeoning hope in the older woman's eyes.

 ** _"_** ** _But why would he come back here?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Well, this is his home. Not the actual house, I mean, but Clarissa? Clarissa is Martin's home. And like any animal, all humans have an instinctual desire to go home again."_**

Laura swept a quick glance over the street from where she sat on the park bench, her eyes catching sight of Caitlin and Dr. Wells through the van's windows. She'd voluntold herself to be the one to stay outside the truck while they waited, since it was still chilly enough out for either of them to catch a cold. Also, waiting for Stein to show up had left her more than a little restless, and Laura had been pacing up and down the block for the past hour to keep herself occupied. The lights in the Stein's house had gone dark some time ago, and even as the rest of the neighbourhood had gone to sleep, there was no still sign of the so-called Burning Man.

As Caitlin and Dr. Wells continued to talk, Laura thought back to earlier that morning, when Cisco had gotten that odd look in his eyes before rushing off. She hadn't heard from him all day, which was a first; whatever he was doing, he was most certainly trying to keep it a secret. A secret that he apparently did not want any of them to know about, which was even weirder. However, as much as she wanted to confront him, to call him and assuage her curiosity, Laura knew that she would have to wait to get her answers. Besides, if Cisco found it important enough to keep it from all of them, even from her, then perhaps they were better off not knowing. And maybe, given enough time, he would tell them what exactly it was.

However, as she was about to begin yet another trip up the block, a vaguely familiar roaring sound broke the calm silence. She hadn't heard that sound since the Reverse Flash had decided to spring a surprise kidnapping on her, but it wasn't too difficult to figure out who it might be. A quick glance up at the sky showed her a flaming projectile soaring through the darkness towards the Stein's house, before disappearing behind the property and leaving a trail of smoke in its wake.

 ** _"_** ** _Laura-"_**

"I'm on it. Caitlin, call Barry." She replied as she tugged on her goggles and her gloves, sprinting across the street towards the gate that led to the Stein's backyard. In the middle of the yard stood the man that had once been Ronnie Raymond, his head and hands smoking with the remnants of flame, his eyes concentrated fully on the window she knew belonged to the master bedroom. As Laura approached, however, the man's face snapped sideways to face her, and Laura balked momentarily at the unbounded rage in his eyes before it shifted into confusion.

"Professor Stein?"

"Who are you?" Caitlin was right – it was Ronnie's voice, his face, his eyes – but the man inside Ronnie's body was most definitely not him.

"Professor, please," Laura called out, careful not to raise her voice too much, holding up her hands in a gesture of surrender, "I'm not here to hurt you."

It did no good; Stein snarled something at her and Laura took a step back as he went up in flame, a soft white glow emanating from her hands as a shudder of fear ran through her. Even from where she stood, she could feel just how much heat was behind those flames, and she barely had enough time to duck before a trail of searing fire flew her way. The ball of heat and light hit her square in the chest, but it was quickly extinguished by a frantic burst of cold. Unfortunately, by the time both her vision had stopped swimming and the stinging underneath the scorch marks on her jacket had died down, Stein was already gone. A spike of fear shot through Laura when she heard a car alarm cut off by the roar of fire, and she ran out into the street just in time to see Stein take off, a familiar red-clad person clutching on to him.

 _Barry._

"Start the van!" Laura shouted down the street at Caitlin, and as the van flared to life, Laura sprinted towards it, flinging open the back doors and throwing herself inside. As soon as the doors were closed, Caitlin floored the gas pedal, forcing Laura to hold on to the built-in shelves as they followed the blazing trail of fire. Sprawling neighbourhoods changed into blocks of warehouses as they followed Stein, though none of them were paying attention to where they were going. All three of them held their breath as they watched Stein take Barry ever higher, before a brief flash of light sent Barry falling towards to the unyielding asphalt.

" _Shit!_ " Laura wasn't sure which one of them had said it, but the tight worry in her chest made way for panic when Stein pulled Barry up just a bit only to have him slam right into the windshield and roll over the roof. That panic, however, was quickly forgotten as Caitlin brought the truck to a screeching halt.

They were almost too late; Stein was alight and looming over Barry, defenseless on the ground, but he stopped at the sound of Caitlin's voice. As she stood there, Laura thought she saw a flicker of recognition in Stein's eyes. Then the moment disappeared as quickly as it came, and Stein was once again shooting through the sky, leaving nothing but smoke and heat in his wake.

"Well…that was terrifying." Barry groaned after a second, the front of his suit charred and burned so much that Cisco would certainly have an aneurysm.

Laura nearly bust a gut laughing, then punched him as hard as she could in the shoulder.

The bewildered look he gave her was most definitely worth it.

* * *

Clarissa Stein was by no means an unintelligent woman. Even though she hadn't applied herself as readily to the sciences as her husband, she was still quite versed in Stein's projects. It was clear in the way her expression shifted when they sat her down in her living room the next day that she suspected something larger than her husband's disappearance was going on.

She had been more than a bit apprehensive as Caitlin and Dr. Wells had launched into the watered-down version of events, and she had every right to be. But despite any reservations they might have had, she still had a right to know what exactly had become of her husband, minus a few details here and there. Her expression remained doubtful for most of the conversation, until Caitlin took a shaky breath and brought up Ronnie, the similarities between their situations far too explicit to be ignored.

The sympathy that grew in Clarissa's eyes as Caitlin spoke was the turning point.

"I'm sorry – I don't believe I got your name, young lady." Clarissa spoke up from where she sat beside Caitlin in the passenger seat, looking back at Laura. The tracker Barry had managed to slip on to Stein during their scuffle had led them to the far end of the city, where houses were scarce but warehouses and overpasses were in abundance. Caitlin had theorized, as she'd cleaned Barry's bruises and helped Laura with her burns the night before, that Stein had chosen such a secluded place to keep himself isolated, seeing as that part of the city was where the homeless community was abundant.

"Laura Sanders, Mrs. Stein."

"You know," Clarissa's eyes were distant for a second, before she returned from her thoughts and met Laura's eyes through the rear-view mirror once more, "I believe I knew an Elaine Sanders while Martin and I were dating. Are you by any chance related?"

Laura hesitated for a moment, suddenly aware that each of the three persons in the car were now focused on her. "Yes, actually. She was my grandmother, on my mother's side."

"Ah, yes, I remember now. I received a letter about her daughter's birth, but I was never able to make it – Elizabeth, was it?"

The rest of the conversation was clipped and awkward, as Laura could feel her teammates' curiosity grow each time she answered yet another one of Clarissa's questions, doing her best to keep the information as superficial as possible. She knew that it was a mere coincidence that Clarissa Stein and Elaine Sanders had known each other, but Laura was beginning to deeply regret ever climbing into the car in the first place. Luckily, Caitlin must have sensed her uneasiness, because when they arrived at their destination, her friend immediately took Clarissa by the arm and began to walk ahead of them. The woman was easy to talk to and by no means an unpleasant person, but Laura was reluctant to have a conversation with Clarissa if all she wanted to talk about was her family history. And there was no way that was happening in front of either Barry or Caitlin.

"You never told me your grandmother knew the Steins." Barry piped up from beside her, looking a bit concerned, and Laura shrugged her shoulders, shoving her hands in her pockets to keep herself occupied. Her uneasiness was also causing frost to form over her fingertips, and it probably wasn't best to have that seen in public.

"I honestly didn't know. Most of my grandparents were dead by the time I was born, and my dad's dad died when I was three." Everything she said was true, at least as far as she knew. Elaine Sanders had been dead and buried by the time Elizabeth Reynolds had even met her future husband, before Laura had even been a thought in their minds. Her grandfather on her father's side was only a blurry face, gigantic bear hugs, and the memory of thick strawberry milkshakes shared in a crowded diner on Friday nights. It was one of the few times in her childhood that she didn't mind reminiscing about, and that was saying something.

"I'm sorry, Laura."

"Hey," she sent him a pointed look, more to keep herself from saying anything further than to chastise him, "it's okay."

He didn't look entirely convinced, but she was relieved that he didn't push further.

They walked in comfortable silence for a bit longer before they finally found what they were looking for, hidden underneath a small section of overpass. As they watched, Stein climbed his way out from under the corner that he had evidently made his home, the thought making Laura sympathize with the once accomplished professor. With his back turned, it didn't seem as if Stein even knew they were there, though making themselves known was not appealing, considering that it still stung where he had burned her.

Eventually, though, it was Caitlin who took the first step towards him.

"Professor Stein?"

"I thought – I thought I told you to stay away from me."

"I know, and I _will_ ," Caitlin stepped forward just enough to make herself heard, "but there's someone here who would like to talk to you."

When Clarissa called out her husband's name, tinged with disbelief and hope, it was almost as if a flip had been switched in Stein's mind. The anguish in his voice was apparent as he spoke of the 'other' – of _Ronnie_ – but Clarissa's touch seemed to calm him , to bring him comfort. She was most definitely still apprehensive, but there was a certain ease with which she stepped forward towards her husband as he croaked out her name. They held each other with a tender familiarity, years of being by each other's sides making them fit together like puzzle pieces. His hands shook where they clutched at hers, and when he pleaded for their help, eyes displaying nothing but vulnerability and desperation, Laura knew that they had a lot of work ahead of them.

But at least it was a start.

 **Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry I haven't posted for a while, I was on vacation for three weeks in July, but now I'm back. I hope you really like this chapter, and remember, reviews are always welcome!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **PS: Who's excited/terrified about season 3?**


	27. Chapter 27: Inferno

Nuclear fission.

It was by no means an unoriginal idea. The method that went into separating an atom to create two different atoms accompanied by a large exothermic reaction had been used worldwide for several decades. Unfortunately, the simple technique had created a devastating effect on the human race that still plagued them to the present day. It was how the atomic bomb had come about, and as odd as it was to think about, the act of splitting an atom had changed the face of the world forever in a single day.

The thing was, nuclear fission had never been tested before on human beings, and with good reason, mostly because nobody had ever believed it could be done. And while nuclear fusion itself had partially integrated the two men into the body now sitting in the adjacent room, using fission to separate them was going to be an entirely different matter.

"Professor Stein's hypothesis about using F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. to fuse objects was correct – could we use his research to defuse them?"

"Stein never got that far, as far as we know. Separating them _is_ theoretically possible, but there is a vast difference between splitting an atom and splitting a man."

As Caitlin opened her mouth to speak again, however, the sound of footsteps brought their attention to the newly clean-shaven Martin Stein entering the room. The first thing he asked for once they'd come back was a shower and a clean change of clothes; lucky for him, the showers in the basement of the building were still operational. As was the incinerator. Barry had even flashed off to the drug store for a shaving kit and a pair of scissors when they saw the state of his hair and face. The unfortunate thing was, while the professor seemed all the more comfortable, it was rather unnerving for them to look at Stein and see Ronnie Raymond instead.

"I don't suppose it's necessary to point out that you're all staring?"

The bluntness of Ronnie's – Stein's – voice shook them from their thoughts with all the gentleness of a rollercoaster, and everyone averted their eyes as they realized their misstep. It wasn't as if they meant to stare; seeing Ronnie's body up and walking about after a year of thinking he was dead was not a usual occurrence, even by their own unusual standards.

"Our apologies." Dr. Wells conceded. "How are you feeling, Professor?"

"Surprisingly, quite lucid. What was it exactly that you gave me?"

"Antipsychotics. Antidepressants. Mood stabilizers."

"Ah," Laura could have sworn she saw Stein's lips quirk up into a faint smile as he turned to Caitlin, "the same formula used to treat dissociative identity disorder. I suppose that this was your idea. Very clever, _Cait_."

The way her friend stood tense beside her told Laura that Caitlin was faring the worst out of all of them. Looking into the eyes of the man she'd loved and knowing that he wasn't alive anymore – that he wasn't _there_ – it couldn't be pleasant at all. It was even harder to watch the way Caitlin stiffened at Stein's use of her nickname, the one Ronnie had ever been able to call her before, the one he'd used often to break through her walls. Even Stein seemed a bit surprised at his own mistake, hastily apologizing. However, as the two of them spoke, something about the way Stein had used the nickname bothered Laura.

If Stein's mind was the one who had been selected to pilot Ronnie's body, per the theory of survival of the fittest, then that would mean that Ronnie's consciousness would have been completely suppressed in order to give the professor full control. And yet, just seconds earlier, Stein had said something that he never could have known if he was fully in control, if he was the only mind inhabiting that body.

Which could only mean one thing.

He _wasn't_.

* * *

"Are you aware you are staring?"

Ronnie's – Stein's – voice broke Laura from her thoughts, and she pushed herself away from the doorframe with a sheepish look before she made her way into the examination room. Stein was sitting by a machine Caitlin had used to monitor his vitals, though it seemed as if he had not found the need to move since. The look on his face made Laura feel all the more like she was been scrutinized by a teacher who had just caught her talking in class.

"Sorry, Professor…it's just a bit _odd_. I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable, but it's a bit hard to get used to." She admitted sheepishly, gesturing to his entire body, and she was pleasantly surprised to see his lips quirk up into a ghost of a smile.

Stein had been rather quiet since he'd agreed to part ways with Clarissa, and everyone else had been subdued to an extent as well. Seeing Ronnie's body, even if it were being controlled by another person, was a sensitive subject for all of them. His silence was also contributed to by the drugs, something he seemed to be well aware of as he rubbed the injection mark in his arm absentmindedly. To top it all off, every movement Stein made in Ronnie's body seemed to belong to another person, and while Laura had done her best to keep her morbid curiosity under control, the good professor appeared to have noticed.

"I understand. I've tried my best to avoid my own reflection this past year to avoid…well, let's just say the first few times weren't exactly pleasant."

"Gee, I can't imagine why."

The chuckle that accompanied the smile on his face was most definitely not expected, and Laura found herself smiling in response. Something in the way his eyes crinkled as he laughed, as dry as it was, told her that Stein had not found the occasion to laugh in a long time.

"Good to see someone in this building has _some_ sense of humour – Professor Martin Stein." He held out his hand, and Laura shook it, a bit put off by how warm it felt. It almost reminded her of the heat she'd felt when he'd attacked her the previous night, the memory making her shudder, only now muted to the point where one could almost mistake it as a high fever. Still, she was relieved when they finally let go, the heat lingering in her hand a few seconds too long before it returned to its normal temperature.

"Dr. Laura Sanders. Well, Professor, if your theory is correct, then you'll be back in your own body in no time."

Truth be told, Laura wasn't quite sure if Stein was thinking clearly, and even if he was, splitting apart two men fused together by an untested matrix in a freak accident didn't exactly seem like a theory that should go untested. He had spent the past year underneath a bridge, foraging for sustenance and shelter, and while Stein was an exceptionally smart man, Laura was certain that living in another man's body for such a prolonged amount of time was in no way healthy for one's mental state. Unfortunately, there was no telling whether the science behind Stein's hypothesis was sound without testing it first, and without the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. matrix itself, it was starting to look like they would just have to wait and hope for the best.

"Did you know Mr. Raymond well, Dr. Sanders? I have memories of you, I believe. Although, to be precise, it's more of an emotional response, but you do elicit quite a few positive emotions."

Laura paused, weighing her options for a moment before she let out a sigh, and took up a chair on the other end of the examination room. Her theory that Ronnie's mind was at least partially still residing within his body was correct; she just wasn't sure what to do with the information. "You could say that. Ronnie was one of the first people at S.T.A.R. Labs to open up to me. Or rather, get me to open up."

"So, Ronald was a friend?"

"More like a mother hen. And we usually called him Ronnie."

"I see. I seem to remember one instance…Chinese food?"

"Actually," Laura felt herself smile as she remembered exactly what Stein was talking about, "that was the first time I ever ate with the other scientists here. I was overworked and I hadn't eaten for about a day and a half, and he invited me to have dinner with Caitlin and Cisco in the lounge. I'm pretty sure he was terrified I was going to pass out."

"Do you mind if I ask if it went well?"

"More or less. In hindsight, it was one of the better parts of that year. I've always been grateful to him for doing that. It – it was nice to know that someone was looking out for me."

"…I see."

"Anyway," Laura cleared her throat abruptly, averting her eyes from the professor's as she realized that he was the one now staring, "I really should be getting back to the others. If you need anything, just give a shout."

"Of course."

The moment she stepped into the observation room, however, Laura could tell that all was not well. It appeared that both Dr. Wells and Caitlin had been arguing, and it looked as if they had just taken a break from it the moment Laura opened the door. It also appeared that it had not been a productive argument, as Caitlin's cheeks were flushed a rather nasty shade of red and Dr. Wells' mouth was set in a hard line. Barry was leaning against the adjacent wall, apparently trying to distance himself as far from the conversation as possible, but there was a look in her partner's eyes that made Laura stop in her tracks.

"What is it?" None of them answered her immediately, and Laura left out a huff of frustration at the prospect of playing mind games with her teammates. With a look from Caitlin that she couldn't quite decipher, she stepped in behind Dr. Wells and scanned the computer screens he had opened before him. It only took her a few seconds to realize what exactly she was looking at.

"Oh."

"Exactly."

"106.8 degrees? Are you sure?" A temperature of that magnitude would be dangerous for _any_ human being, which Laura knew was somewhat ironic coming from her, but it was still shocking nonetheless.

"Yes, and it is rising with every passing minute. The flames Professor Stein is producing are caused by the exothermic reaction of Ronnie's body rejecting Stein's atoms, like a parasite and a host. However, as the temperature rises, so too does the magnitude of the reaction. I worry…if this phenomena continues, that the rising temperature may spark a chain reaction and…"

"What?"

"…he could go nuclear."

Well, _fuck_.

* * *

This couldn't be happening.

According to the most recent test results, within a few hours Ronnie Raymond's body would completely reject the cells of Martin of Stein, resulting in a nuclear blast that could level Central City. Laura stared pensively at the screens that monitored Stein's vitals, the pit of dread in her stomach growing larger every time his temperature rose another few degrees. Based on Dr. Wells' calculations, the resulting nuclear blast would most certainly encompass a significant part of Central City, if not all of it. The city was not even remotely equipped to deal with a nuclear explosion of that magnitude, much less a regular one, and there was no telling how it would affect any other surrounding cities.

Laura knew cells inside and out, but it was like trying to put two magnets together the wrong way – the harder you pushed them together, the more they wanted to get away from each other. Forcing the fused cells to remain together would only increase the magnitude of the explosion and endanger more civilians, which made it all the more difficult to come up with a possible solution.

The unfortunate thing was, it appeared that the only way to stop the explosion was to put Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein to rest. Even with Dr. Wells and Cisco brainstorming like mad and Caitlin remaining painfully optimistic, it seemed that the deck was stacked against them.

"Professor?"

The examination room was empty, which was a bit odd, but not unexpected. With a quick glance in every corner, Laura continued her journey towards the control room. Logically, she knew that Stein had to be somewhere in the building, but the little cloud of doubt that every scientist experienced at least once in their lifetime was beginning to grow in her head. Barry had disappeared after going to talk to Stein to deal with a problem she had been able to tell wasn't work related, but there had been no sign of either of them since.

There was no one in the control room as Laura entered, but as she made her way towards the consoles, she could see something that appeared to be a notification. With a growing sense of curiosity, Laura sat down at the computer, minimizing a few windows until she found what she was looking for. At first glance, it looked like the DNA comparison software that she and Barry used on a daily basis at the lab. In fact, it was the exact same software. It looked like someone – she couldn't quite wrap her head around the thought of who it was just yet – had linked one of their accounts from the lab to the computers at S.T.A.R., and was currently running two samples of DNA against the rest of the police database. The thing was, Laura was almost entirely certain that there were no active cases that could involve metahumans in any way, which made it all the more obvious that this case was off the books. Both samples were labelled as unknown, but Laura had a feeling that the person would had run the samples in the first place would be able to tell her who they were.

And boy, would he have some explaining to do.

Minimizing the screen, Laura went back to her original task. If Stein had left the building of his own volition, then it was highly likely that he would have left a significant heat signature, but only if he had activated his powers. She wasn't as good around computers as Cisco, but Laura was eventually able to find the software linked to the satellite above the city. The most recent image, taken just a few minutes ago, that appeared on the screen was a bit difficult to navigate, but Laura eventually managed to zoom in on what she assumed was S.T.A.R. Labs. As she peered closer, Laura could see a thin trail of bright red weaving in and out between the heat signatures of the city's skyscrapers. The trail continued east out of the city, and Laura felt the pit of dread in her stomach grow larger when it finally came to a stop in the badlands – 30 miles from the city.

The minimum distance one should be from a nuclear blast if they wanted to survive.

Laura didn't even bother grabbing her gear as she bolted for the parking lot, the coordinates already set on her phone. The van was still parked outside, and she thanked whatever nonsensical deity lived up above that Caitlin had left the keys in the glove compartment. She sent the rest of the team a text each, but she was already out of the parking lot by the time her phone buzzed in reply. By the time she finally got on the highway, Laura was certain that if there wasn't so much at stake, she would have had a nervous breakdown, her heart racing and her hands trembling on the wheel. Even as the traffic began to thin out on the edge of the city, her foot remained on the accelerator; if the professor was planning on doing the deed himself, then she didn't have the luxury of slowing down by even a fraction.

Almost half an hour later, Laura was as close to her destination as she could get. The badlands weren't exactly known for their road maintenance, and her phone told her that she still had a mile or so left to go before she reached the professor. Even in early spring, the ground was still mostly frozen and littered with patches of snow, making it hard to travel through the sparse forest, the trees looking half-dead against the grey sky. The rough terrain made her knees and thighs ache as she tried her best to hurry, and Laura wondered just how much time she'd save if she could fly like Stein. Their powers were fairly similar – maybe, if he survived the inevitable nuclear explosion, she could ask him for some tips.

Finally, Laura reached her destination, and even as the branches on the trees caught under her jacket, she pushed herself out from the brush into the clearing. Down below, she could just make out Stein, facing away from her, an easily recognizable pistol clutched in his right hand. He didn't appear to have heard the breaking of a hundred twigs that had announced her arrival, so Laura took the opportunity to make herself known.

"Professor!" The reaction was almost instant, Stein whirling around with wide eyes until they finally landed on her.

"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here!"

Great, now he sounded angry. It wasn't like she'd encountered him _at all_ when he was angry, and it wasn't like that time had ended with a fireball thrown at her face.

"Professor, I know what you're planning to do," Laura kept her voice level as she started to make her way down the hill, grateful that he was now somewhat distracted, "but this isn't the way to do things."

"You don't understand. I-I can't let anything happen to the city, to Clarissa. To Caitlin…" The anger suddenly seemed to seep away, and as she met his eyes, Laura could see that there was little left of Martin Stein but desperation and despair. By sacrificing himself, the city would be safe from the impending nuclear blast, but in some way, it was also a reprieve from the past nightmare of a year he'd experienced. Knowing that he was slipping farther and farther towards the edge, Laura rushed down the rest of the way to him, ignoring the way her heart raced. When she reached Stein, he was staring at the ground, and the hand holding the gun was shaking violently; gently, she put her hand over his, using the other to pull it from his grasp.

"Then don't do this. Let us help you, Martin. This doesn't have to be how it ends."

With one final tug, the gun fell from Stein's hands into Laura's, though he didn't appear to have noticed. The problem was, even if Stein couldn't sacrifice himself now, there was no way to stop the explosion from taking place. However, as they stood there against the barren landscape, Laura's phone buzzed, and with a quick glance at Stein, she dug it out of her jacket in record time.

 _Brry's on hs wy._

Somehow, the lack of vowels in the text was less reassuring that Cisco had probably intended it to be, but the familiar crack of lightning in the distance did the job. A second later, both Barry and Caitlin were standing in front of them, Caitlin's arms full of a device that Laura hoped to the high heavens was the solution to their problem. Laura could feel the tension in the air as Caitlin applied the device to Stein, the two of them exchanging words she couldn't quite hear. The kiss between them was nothing if not a surprise, but she didn't have time to process it as Caitlin activated the device, and took a step back. For a long moment, it seemed as if it had worked. The air stilled around them, and the tight knot in Laura's chest began to unravel.

Then, they could see nothing but fire.

"It didn't work! We have to get out of here!" Barry yelled above the roar of flame that seemed to grow larger with every passing second, engulfing Stein as he screamed in agony. As time seemed to slow down, Laura turned to her friends, glancing between the both of them. Almost instantly, the solution became clear to her, but it was with a low voice, trembling with the knowledge of what she was about to do, that Laura spoke to them.

"Go."

"What? Laura, no!"

"Take her, Barry. I'll be fine."

"Laura, no! We have to-"

"You can't carry both of us, Red."

"Laura-"

"I said _go!"_

The horror in their expressions made her heart ache as she made her decision clear, but Laura couldn't stop the tears as Barry scooped up a protesting Caitlin in his arms, a torn look on his face. She barely had a second to comprehend it before they were both gone, but as she turned back to Stein, the only thing that Laura could do was pray that they would be able to make it away in time. The pillar of flame that now towered above her was almost blinding, the heat searing her skin, and as Laura opened the floodgates to allow the cold to sweep through her body, she almost regretted her decision.

And in a flash of light, Laura knew no more.

 **Hey guys! Thanks for being so patient with me this summer! I just wanted to let you all know that I'm heading back to school on Sunday, but I'll do my best to keep updating as often as I can.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter - reviews are always welcome!**


	28. Chapter 28: Fallout

It _burned_.

There was no other word for it. No other word for the pain that laced through her skin, stronger than anything she had ever felt in her life. No other word for the way the heat cracked and peeled her skin, leaving her screaming in agony. No other word for the way her blood boiled in her veins, for the way every bit of cold in her body was chased away, for the way she was torn apart.

No other word for what she felt.

Everything _burned_.

* * *

Laura screamed.

The sound, barely even louder than a whisper, clawed its way up her throat without her consent, and tears streamed down her face as another forced its way out. She couldn't even feel the tears streaming down her face as she cried, not as every inch of her skin burned more painfully than she had ever experienced in life. There was nothing she wanted more to do in that moment than to tear her skin from her bones, if only that would stop the pain from searing itself into her mind.

However, as Laura gasped and sobbed, there was something else there, something else besides the darkness and the pain. Through the haze, she could imagine it as a bright light, cool and calming and safe, a beacon of hope in a never-ending void that seemed intent on swallowing her up. The pain numbed her as she reached out towards it, and as it consumed her, tears of a different kind slipped out from behind her eyelids.

 _Cold._

Cold, blissfully, painfully numb cold. It spread to every corner of her body, chasing away the burning agony as it did so, and Laura could not stop a sob of relief as the last of the pain bled away. She hardly even noticed as it began to push its way out of her body, surrounding her and filling her all at once; in a way, shielding her from the world. It felt alive, in a way, as she floated there in its embrace, an ethereal pulse beating alongside her own heart and a soft thrumming slowly but surely bringing her back into awareness.

And suddenly, the cold was gone, and she was falling into awareness. The first thing she was aware of was that she was weighed down, and the next was the burning in her chest as she took a breath, her lungs drawing in ash. Eyes watering as she rolled over on to her back, Laura could barely see the sky above through the haze of tears, but as she raised her hand to block it – something that seemed to sap away her strength – Laura saw something else.

 _Not now._

She'd changed, again, and this time, she felt it _everywhere._ Now more aware of herself, every part of Laura's body felt as if it were weighed down, and even as she scrambled to her knees, Laura had the sickening feeling that what she feared was true. Still, some part of her had to know, and with a pounding heart, she reached for her face. A small gasp left her as a noise she couldn't quite describe echoed throughout her mind – it was almost like as if two glasses had just clinked, only far, far worse – and she felt the sudden desire to empty her stomach. Her hands traveled farther down, grasping frantically at her own neck, and Laura suddenly couldn't find the energy to breathe.

 _Calm down, calm down – you've done this before. You just need to calm down._

As her mind raced, Laura dug her hands into the ruined earth, jamming her eyes shut to avoid looking straight at her hands and to keep the world from spinning. She forced herself to concentrate despite the fact that she was near hyperventilating, and focused on the way her body felt as if it were weighed down. If she could just imagine it differently, as if the change were just her skin and not everything else, maybe that would work…

Even as she thought about it, Laura could already feel the change happening. It was slow at first, like how a sink might drain of water, but as her heart rate began to return to normal, Laura felt it speed up to the point that she couldn't keep track of where it was happening. And just like that, she was back to normal, and feeling lighter than she ever had in her entire lifetime. The cold was still there, subdued and waiting for her, but for once, its absence in her veins was more a relief than a worry. For now, at least, she was simply content to leave the cold alone.

 _"_ _Laura!"_

Out of the corner of her eye, Laura caught sight of a flash of lightning, and turned just in time to see Barry and Caitlin appear above her on the hill, skidding to a stop in the dirt just a few feet from where she knelt. She could tell that they were stunned, with the way that Caitlin grasped at Barry blindly and the way that they both continued to stare at her. The silence between them stretched on for a while before Barry took the first step forward, and the next thing she knew, both of them were there, holding her as closely as they could manage.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again, I swear to God-" The anger in Caitlin's voice would have been frightening had her face not been buried in Laura's shoulder, and Laura could only tighten her arms around her friend in response. Dimly, she knew that they would ask questions later, questions that she wouldn't be able to answer truthfully, but with Barry and Caitlin kneeling beside her, the only thing she could think of was that she was alive in the first place. Everything beyond that seemed to matter so little now, and Laura was happy to leave it at that.

"And you say my self-preservation's bad," Barry chuckled, his eyes suspiciously wet as he did so, and Laura felt her heart leap into her throat.

"I'm sorry." Her lungs burned as she spoke for the first time since she'd woken, but when she began to cough they were both there, offering her support. When the burn finally subsided, Laura looked up at both of her friends, a sense of relief that they were okay – that they were _all_ okay – spreading over her, before following Caitlin's gaze down into the newly formed crater. Neither of them seemed to feel like saying anything further, and with a nod, Laura accepted Barry's hand, leaning on him once she was standing. The three of them shared a look, before they began to make the trip down, Caitlin taking the lead.

It wasn't long before they found a reason to stop. Laura heard Caitlin's gasp of disbelief before she was careening across the ground towards the body, and slowed to a stop as the other woman fell to her knees beside it. Beside her, Barry also watched with bated breath, the pounding of her heart drowning out every thought in her head.

"C-can you," Caitlin hesitated for a moment, the hope she had spent so long suppressing shining through, and she could only choke one word: "…Ronnie?"

It was absolutely nerve-wracking to watch as the battered man lying before them lifted his head, meeting Caitlin's intense gaze easily. His dazed expression slowly shifted into a weary grin, and then:

" _Caitlin_."

Laura couldn't suppress the laugh that bubbled out of her chest as Ronnie pulled her close, the relief bringing tears to her eyes. She wasn't even aware that she was crying until Barry's hand fell on her shoulder; she could only answer his concerned look with a smile – a watery, shaky smile – but a smile no less real. Suddenly, however, a familiar tone of voice broke the silence.

"…excuse me? Dr. Sanders? Mr. Allen?"

"Professor," Barry sounded almost as disbelieving as Laura felt as they turned to face the source of the voice, standing in the crater and covered head to toe in soot, "it's good to see you in the flesh."

"Likewise," the older man responded with a wry smirk, "but I do believe I'm in dire need of a change of clothes."

In spite of it all, Laura could hardly contain her smile.

It was time to go home.

* * *

"Alright, that's the last of it – now, are you sure you're okay?"

"Caitlin, I know you're worried, but you've asked me that five times in the past two minutes, and I'm pretty sure my answer isn't going to change when you ask me again."

The warning look that Caitlin shot her was almost enough to frighten Laura into submission – and she was scary enough without provocation – but it softened a second later. It had been a few hours since she'd awoken in the badlands, but even the return of Ronnie, who was in the next room, couldn't stop her friend from worrying over her. Most of the burns she'd received from the explosion, at least she thought she'd been burned, had faded by the time they'd returned, but Laura understood Caitlin's need to make sure that she was alright – she couldn't even begin to count the number of times Barry had nearly given her a heart attack since they'd met. Fortunately, while Caitlin was angry for the time being, Laura knew that her concern for the people she cared about was going to be the thing that would always win.

"Caitlin," Laura murmured, reaching out for her friend's arm, meeting her eyes with a pang of guilt, "I'm sorry."

"You could have _died."_

"I know. I knew that. But you could have as well."

For a moment, it seemed as if they were going to leave it at that, but just as Laura let her hand drop, she found herself once more in a crushing hug. After a few moments, Caitlin spoke:

"If you ever do something like that again, I'll kill you myself."

"Message received," she replied with just a hint of a chuckle, and as they let go, Laura turned her attention towards the adjacent room. They could both just make out Ronnie sitting on the examination table, obviously more than anxious to see the woman he loved again, and Laura turned to face Caitlin with a knowing look. As it turned out, she didn't have to say another word, and Laura watched with a strangely warm feeling of satisfaction as Caitlin took the first few steps into the room. Even through the glass, she could tell that both of them were nervous, having spent so long apart, and it was almost heartbreaking to see her friend so anxious in the face the man she loved. However, as she watched the two of them begin to talk, their hands moving to join where she couldn't see, Laura knew that she didn't have to worry about either of them. Unfortunately, as she finally allowed herself to relax, Laura became acutely aware that someone was watching _her._

Even though he was on the other side of the room, Dr. Wells' gaze was the most unnerving thing Laura had ever experienced. She couldn't tell if he could see that she knew he was watching, but the fact of the matter was, there was no point in her life that Laura could compare to what she was feeling. For the first time in hours, frost began to form at her fingertips, and Laura had to look away from Wells to keep it under control. Still, even when she could not see, she could imagine that he could see straight through her to the place where she kept all her secrets.

 _Did he know?_

It was a ridiculous thought, but if experienced had taught her anything, it was that the safest way to live was to keep every option open, even the most ridiculous ones. She knew that nothing was certain, that nothing was ever really set, and right now, she couldn't entirely rule out the possibility that Dr. Wells knew about what had happened in the badlands. About how she'd survived the explosion – how she'd _changed_. Nobody knew; none of her friends knew anything about what had happened in the cell that night with the Reverse Flash, nor did they know about how exactly she'd managed to nearly shatter Hartley's jaw on the dam. Jagged shards of ice began to form on her knees where her hands rested, as she thought about just how much the whole event had the potential to blow up in her face at any time.

However, as she sat there, Laura was comforted by the thought that maybe Wells didn't know. After all, without evidence – of which she was certain there was none – he couldn't know for sure what was going on with her. Maybe he suspected; if she was going to be honest with herself, she'd be suspicious if anyone of the team had been in the same position. Even with her panic alleviated slightly, it took Laura a couple of moments before she could muster up the courage to look back over her shoulder, but it was with some surprise that she saw that Wells was gone. She wasn't sure why she was relieved. There was no way that Wells could know, that much was certain; the only thing he could do was suspect.

But, if that was all he could do, then why did Laura feel so afraid?

* * *

 _"_ _It's_ _ **hot**_ _."_

 _"_ _It's called a fire."_

 _"_ _I know that."_

 _"_ _So, what's the problem, kiddo?"_

 _"…_ _I don't like it."_

 _"_ _Why not?"_

 _"_ _It doesn't feel right. Makes me itch."_

 _"…_ _you want me to put it out?"_

 _"…_ _no."_

 _"_ _I thought you didn't like it."_

 _"_ _I don't…"_

 _"_ _Is it because of the dark?"_

 _"…"_

 _"_ _Hey. Hey, come here."_

 _"_ _I'm fine."_

 _"_ _Yeah, right. Now, grab your sleeping bag and get over here."_

 _"…_ _why are you putting it out?"_

 _"_ _Because you don't like it."_

 _"_ _You didn't have to-"_

 _"Listen – I know what it's like to be scared of the dark, okay?"_

 _"_ _You do?"_

 _"_ _Yeah. I know that it feels like you're trapped, like there's no way out. Like you're alone. But you're not alone; I'm going to be right here, and we're going to go sleep, and I'll make you pancakes in the morning. Okay?"_

 _"_ _Really?"_

 _"_ _Only if you promise to go to sleep."_

 _"_ _Okay."_

 _"_ _...thanks."_

 _"_ _No problem."_

* * *

For a second, Laura wasn't sure why it was dark. As she reached up to rub her eyes, she recalled that Caitlin had dimmed the lights in the control room before she'd left with Ronnie for the night. Her friend had been perfectly clear that she should be resting as she'd attempted to leave as well, and the intensity with which Caitlin had told her so had been enough to convince Laura to forgo negotiations. She hadn't even been aware of how tired she'd been until she'd laid down on the examination bed, which was, unfortunately, quite possibly the most uncomfortable thing Laura had ever slept on. Her back and shoulder muscles ached as she sat up, and as she applied a bit of cold with her right hand, Laura couldn't help but wonder how everyone else was doing.

She knew that Barry had taken the good professor back to his rightful home, and that Caitlin and Ronnie were taking the chance to catch up, and to reconnect – though she hoped that they didn't have to put too much effort into that. Wells – actually, she didn't really feel like thinking about that at the moment – was missing for the time being. And Cisco…well, Cisco had stuttered over his words after she'd asked him if he'd had anything planned for the night, and disappeared before Laura had had the chance to question him further. A frown formed on her face as she wondered if the tests she had found running earlier had finished; in fact, she was almost certain they had. The only question now was what to do with them.

With a bitter taste in her mouth, Laura slid off the bed and snatched up the S.T.A.R. Labs sweater someone had draped over a nearby chair. As she slipped it on over her head, Laura oddly found the new softness comforting, even if it she didn't really need it, and she made her way out of the room feeling a little less tense.

"Well, this is creepy." Laura muttered under her breath as she glanced around the control room, now darker than she had ever seen it, even though most of the lights were still functioning, albeit dimmed. It was the fact that it was empty, leaving her to be the one to fill the silence, that made it so much worse than it was, and Laura did her best to avoid thinking about it as her feet moved just a tad faster.

She'd never really been fond of the dark.

The small side room they'd set up a while back as a common area was at least lit a bit better. On the counter, a couple of pills coupled with instructions from Caitlin waited for her, and Laura welcomed the clear taste of the water as she swallowed the medicine down. Feeling a bit better, Laura let out a sigh, and set down the glass on the edge of the counter. It was hard to believe that only a day had passed; with everything that had happened, Laura felt as the past twenty or so hours had added on that many years to her life. Heaving out a sigh, she refilled the glass and made her way back out into the control room, glancing over at the computer consoles before sitting herself down in one of the chairs. There was so much to think about it was starting to hurt her head, and she realized belatedly that Caitlin must have foreseen the headache she was starting to develop.

However, as she sat there in the near-darkness, Laura had the feeling that someone was watching her. A quick glance over her shoulder slowed the frantic beating of her heart, but only by a fraction.

"Dr. Wells – I didn't realize you were still here. I thought you'd gone home."

The wry smile that her former employer gave her was almost disarming enough to make Laura forget the unease she'd felt under his gaze earlier, and she found herself with the overwhelming desire for a distraction of any kind as he joined her by the consoles.

"I apologize if I startled you; I was merely taking advantage of some spare time to catch up on work." He paused for a moment, before turning to face her with what she assumed was a concerned look.

"I must ask, though: how are you feeling?"

"Honestly," Laura sighed, leaning back in the chair to let the throbbing of her head subside, to allow herself some time to think, "pretty good. Tired, I guess, and sore, too – we really should get some real beds in here."

The chuckle that Wells let out echoed throughout the empty room, and Laura found herself smiling in response, the pit of unease in her stomach dissolving bit by bit. Before the incident, it would have been impossible for her to imagine sitting in the dark with her boss, much less hearing him laugh, no matter how restrained it was. For as long as she'd worked at S.T.A.R. Labs, Dr. Harrison Wells had always seemed to operate at a higher tier than most of his employees. Perhaps it was how the accident had lowered him to their level, she speculated, that had softened his temperament. Maybe, in the wheelchair, the Harrison Wells that she'd known before had come to the realization that he didn't to be a god amongst the peasantry. Whatever had changed in her former employer, whether it be the wheelchair he sat in or the passage of time, Laura was grateful that it had.

They sat there for some time, the idle conversation switching between either her work and the latest comings and goings of the cities, or the status of the reunited S.T.A.R. Labs power couple. The entire time, though, Laura could tell that Wells was purposefully avoiding one particular subject, though it wasn't as if she were trying to broach it either. Still, it was nice to finally have some time to relax – to let the situation sink in. It was…nice.

At least until Cisco and Ronnie showed up dragging a bleeding, half-conscious –

"Barry!"

Laura was _exhausted_.

* * *

It had been several hours since Cisco and Ronnie had showed up at S.T.A.R. Labs in the dead of night, dragging Barry between them – several hours since Laura had first laid eyes on her partner, half-conscious and bleeding all over his suit. Several hours since they'd had to hold him down until he was coherent, since she'd had to pin him to the bed and pour cold into his body to give Caitlin enough time to remove the jagged shards from his chest. Several hours, and Laura was quite certain that she'd just aged another thirty years. If her life was going to be this stressful in the future, she'd probably have to ask Cisco about the best way to design a nursing home for elderly metahumans. She wasn't even close to being sure about what time it was, and the mere thought of the morning sun made her head ache.

"Laura? You okay?"

Groaning out what she hoped would sound like an affirmative, Laura pried herself off of the consoles and turned to the sound of Barry's voice, the sleep in her eyes keeping her gaze blurry. She knew that the wounds he'd received had since healed, but there was something incredibly annoying about the way he smiled down at her, the sun shining through the windows making him seem like the human embodiment of wakefulness. Some days, it seemed as if her partner had been born in a lab through a mixture of sunshine and rainbows, and just like every other day, it was just as frustrating.

"I'm going to take that as a 'no'. Caitlin said this might help."

The sudden, mouthwatering smell of a freshly baked cinnamon bun was enough to propel Laura into propping herself up on her elbows, where she could grab the treat and the coffee cup her partner had placed within arms' reach.

"You're a godsend, Barry."

"I'll take that as a compliment." He chuckled as she took her first bite of the warm pastry, the taste making her eyes slip closed in bliss, but there was no teasing in his eyes when she finally finished her mouthful. Instead, he seemed to be hesitating, his eyes flitting around her uncertainly, and Laura felt a twinge of guilt in her chest before she caught his gaze.

"I'm okay."

"I know."

"…are you mad at me?"

"What?" Barry looked bewildered for a second or two before realization dawned on his face. "No, Laura, no, I'm not mad at you. Why would you think that?"

 _Call it a hunch_ , Laura thought to herself, but she decided that a snarky retort most likely wasn't the best response. Taking a deep breath, she forced her body on to her feet and dragged her feet until they brought her to stand right in front of her partner.

"I'm sorry."

"Laura-"

"Not now, Barry." The stunned look on Barry's face and the silence that followed was enough to propel her forward. "Listen, I know that what I did was dangerous and reckless. I know that I scared everybody, and you have to believe me when I say that if I could stop all of you from going through that again, I would. But this…this is what we signed up for. We made it our job to protect people, and that's what I did. I'm sorry, Barry, I really am. But I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

 _Not yet, anyway._

It was quiet for a while after she finished speaking, and as the second ticked by, Laura couldn't help but be a bit nervous, fidgeting slightly with the edges of the sweater as she avoided looking straight at Barry. She took a few steps back as he pushed his chair back, wondering if what she'd said had inadvertently pushed him away, the mere thought making her stomach twist. However, just as she was about to apologize, Laura found herself wrapped in what could be best described as a hug, Barry's long arms wrapping around her with a firm, sure pressure. They stood there for a while, giving each other time to their own thoughts, and in the end, it was Barry who spoke.

"You really shouldn't make promises you can't keep, you know."

"I know. I thought it would be a nice gesture."

"That's debatable."

"…I really am sorry."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're safe."

"Thanks, Red."

Laura felt slightly hysterical, laughter bubbling out of her when they finally stepped apart, and she took a second to reach up and wipe her eyes, which had mysteriously begun to water in the past minute or so. She felt a great deal better than she had before, her anxiety settled for the meantime, but it still took a few moments before Laura could finally gather the courage to look her partner in the eye, afraid of what she might see. When she looked up at him, however, the way he smiled down at her without a hint of tension that had been there before told her that they were going to be okay.

"Thank you, Barry."

 _I mean it._

"…anytime."

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _So we've got eyes on the professor and Clarissa, and Ronnie and Caitlin are crashing at Joe's place until this whole thing blows over."_**

"That's good, Cisco. Is there anything more that we can do about this Eiling guy?"

 ** _"_** ** _Honestly,"_** The sudden change in his tone of voice didn't exactly reassure her, **_"we'll be lucky if this guy doesn't come at us with the entire U.S. army."_**

"Are we sure he hasn't been court martialed? I read over your guys' reports from last year, and if he even if he still has the resources he used to, he'd still need authorization. Maybe he's gone AWOL."

 ** _"That's the problem – I don't think anybody above him knows what he's doing."_**

"Great. And if we tell anyone, then we'll expose our identities, and Barry and I'll spend the rest of our lives as fucking guinea pigs."

Laura regretted those words the instant she said them. It was true that she'd read over the files from her team's first encounter with General Wade Eiling – and their first and last encounter with Bette Sans Souci. The former arms specialist had been subjected to experimentation underneath Eiling, before she'd managed to escape and find refuge at S.T.A.R. Labs. Nothing short of the word tragedy could be used to describe what Bette had gone through before her death, and merely thinking about just what Eiling had possibly done to the late woman. Unfortunately, it now seemed that the good general had his sights set on Ronnie and Stein – or more accurately, she thought, F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. Even Stein hadn't fully realized what the matrix could do before it had merged the two of them, and there was no telling how much Eiling knew about it.

"Cisco, you'd tell me…you'd tell me if there was anything going on with you, right?"

 ** _"_** ** _What are you talking about?"_**

"Nothing, it's fine. Just – just call me, if anything comes up, okay?"

 ** _"…_** ** _definitely. Yeah, yeah, I'll let you know if anything happens."_**

"See you soon, Cisco."

 _Goddammit._ Laura cursed herself as the disconnect tone resounded in her ear, the sudden, almost flat, noise startling her for a second before resignation set in. There had been something in Cisco's voice, some sort of hesitant acknowledgement that deep down, she knew wasn't meant for her. She didn't feel comfortable keeping her knowledge from him, no matter how far she might be from seeing the larger picture, and spent a few seconds deliberating on how to banish the unpleasant thoughts before deciding on a glass of wine. Her muscles protested as she crouched in the doorway of her bedroom closet to fish out the untouched bottle of pinot grigio she'd bought for herself before her life had become a never-ending episode of the Twilight Zone.

Laura was pleased to discover that she'd made a good choice as she took her first sip from a glass, the alcohol sweet and smooth on her tongue. Satisfied once she'd had a few more sips, Laura made her way out on to her balcony, bottle and glass in hand, relishing in the cool night air as it helped the chaos of her thoughts slowly descend into silence.

Some might have called it acting overly mature for her to be drinking such a fine bottle of wine, but though she didn't mind a beer when offered, Laura had always preferred, as some might have called it, the more sophisticated beverage. She'd speculated over the years, as she'd watched the people around her throw themselves into the party scene, that she'd just grown up too fast. Her preference, unfortunately, had nothing to do how mature she was, no matter how many times she'd tried to play it off to the people she knew. No, the reason was not so simple as that, going back to the days when a smashed bottle in the den and the sound of the television were her signal to make herself invisible for the night. Those years still haunted her; they were the reason it still took her over an hour to calm down after hearing glass break; the reason her heart could still jump when she saw someone getting careless after one too many drinks. The reason-

Crap, she was starting to spiral. Certain that it was the alcohol that was allowing her to slip into those memories so easily, Laura decided that she had had enough for the night. She welcomed the silence of her apartment as she stepped inside, leaving the door open to let the noise from the streets filter in, before padding her way towards the kitchen sink. However, as she turned on the water, letting it heat up for a few seconds before sticking her glass underneath the stream, Laura heard it.

It could have been anything. _Anything_. The drapes, rustled by the open window. The floorboards, creaking in a way that somehow still seemed to make her nervous at night. The neighbours, on their way out for the night. But she knew that wasn't it. Still, as she looked out and away from where she'd heard the noise, her knuckles white as she clenched at the edge of the sink, Laura was certain that-

 _There._

As she spun around, Laura knew that she was too late. A sharp pain shot through her neck as something struck her there, and Laura braced herself against the counter to give herself some leverage. Her hands shook as she pulled it out, and it was a terrible sense of dread as she stared at the projectile in her hands that resembled a needle in all the wrong ways. She barely had any time to even curse herself for being so stupid before her knees lost all their strength, sending her crashing to the floor. The sound of her own impact, and the needle hitting the floor, echoed as though she were underwater, and Laura knew then that she was completely and utterly screwed.

The world tilted violently on its axis as she struggled against the weight of her own body, exhaustion creeping in like ivy on brownstone, and Laura fought the urge to empty her stomach contents right there and then. However, as she laid there in a heap, slipping farther and farther away from wakefulness, Laura suddenly became aware that she was not alone in her apartment.

"Dr. Sanders," the voice drawled, but as she peered through the darkness, Laura could only see a pair of cold, grey eyes looming above her, staring down at her with nothing but contempt, "it's good to finally meet you."

The last thing that the voice said to Laura before she fell into the endless void chilled her to her very core, a feeling she would not forget for a very long time:

 _"_ _Or should I say, Frostbite?"_

 **Hey guys! I want to thank you all for being so patient with me - midterms have been coming up, so I haven't had much time to write, but I am still active. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this arc, which is coming to a close very soon, and I hope you keep reading! Remembers, reviews are welcome!**

 **P.S. Who else wants to punch BARTHOLOMEW HENRY ALLEN IN THE FACE?!**


	29. Chapter 29: Once More Unto the Breach

Let it be said that Laura Sanders was not a fan of two things.

The first thing being the dark.

The second thing being heat.

Of course, as her luck would have it, the minute Laura opened her eyes, she was met with both of those things in equal force. Opening her eyes only to find pitch black sent her into a mild panic, and it was only as she began to move around that Laura found that it was sweltering.

Unfortunately, in addition to being virtually blind and sweating through her shirt, Laura found out very quickly that she was unable to move. In the darkness, Laura couldn't see what was holding her down, as she pulled against the restraints, they reminded her somewhat of the cuffs the Reverse Flash had used on her. She could also feel several more along her body, including her neck and waist. In conclusion, she was blind, drowning in her own sweat, and paralysed. Whatever situation she was in, it was shaping up to be a great one.

 _"_ _Dr. Sanders – good to see you're awake."_

Laura bit back a stream of curses as the amplified voice startled her, and she dimly realized that whoever was speaking, they must have been using a speaker of some sort, considering how static piqued every word. However, as she laid there, doing her best to remain calm, Laura realized with a chill where she had heard the voice before. It had spoken to her, as she'd laid on the floor of her apartment, her mind hanging over the edge of oblivion, and it had said two names to her – both of them her own.

"Eiling."

 _"_ _It's good to see that your mind hasn't been affected – it really wouldn't have mind a difference, mind you, but I can't say I don't enjoy a good conservation now and then."_

Laura didn't respond; she recognized when she was being toyed with, when someone was waiting for her to trip up, to show her hand. The general was trying to gain an advantage, which Laura didn't really see the point of, considering her situation – perhaps it was for his own amusement. Stubbornly, Laura forced herself to relax against what felt like some sort of padded material, though it did nothing to calm her. As she laid there, sweat running down her face, Laura fought down a shudder as a rolling wave of nausea ran through her. Either Eiling and the mysterious figures backing him had somehow managed to fly her to Qatar, or they were deliberately using what she had come to realize was her greatest weakness against her. Despite how terrifying it was, she was inclined to believe the latter was the truth.

However, as she laid there, Laura suddenly found herself blinded by light. Instinctively, she screwed her eyes shut, but after waiting a few seconds to let the pain recede, Laura forced them open again. It didn't hurt any less to stare directly into the lights, though as her eyes adjusted to the brightness, Laura was decided that the pain was worth it, as the world slowly became visible.

 _"_ _I hope you aren't too uncomfortable – unless you aren't a warm weather person."_

Staring down at her through the glass with his stony grey eyes and cropped silver hair, Wade Eiling reminded her of a marble statue, immovable and expressionless. However, there was something behind that cold grey that made Laura hold her tongue, something that was waiting for her to make the first move, and she chose instead to try at least get a decent look at where she was. It appeared to be a container of sorts, with a viewport that allowed her to see out, the restraints around her neck and head keeping her gaze pointed forward. There wasn't much to see beyond that, other than the thick circles of metal that kept her in place, which were most definitely not going to be easy to get out of. However, Laura was stopped from speculating further as a sudden tapping rudely forced her out of her thoughts, and she reluctantly turned her gaze back to Eiling.

 _"_ _Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners?"_

"Now that you mention it," Laura grimaced as the dryness of her throat made it painful to talk, "I never got the lesson on what to do if an old man abducted me. The funny thing is, I did learn how to deal with an old man's bullshit."

It was almost worth it, to see the fury flash in Eiling's eyes, but behind the smirk on her face, Laura was terrified. She knew that as soon as she'd even thought about taunting Eiling, she had most likely put herself in far more danger than she'd previously been in. There was no way of knowing if she was still in the country, or how long it had been since she'd been abducted, and the thought left her feeling more than a little panicked. However, contrary to what she was expecting, Eiling didn't snap, or bark, or even respond; with a slight twitch of his lips, he moved around the capsule and out of her line of sight. She supposed she should have been relieved that he hadn't retaliated, but it was only a second later that Laura realized why he had been so impassive.

A wave of blistering heat passed over Laura, thick and heavy and excruciatingly painful, and Laura shouted in pain, tugging against her restraints as if somehow her strength could free her. Flashes of light blinded her vision, and Laura's shouts quickly died down into ragged gasps. However, just as she was certain that she was going to pass out, the heat disappeared, and Laura was left gasping in deep breaths of air that was by no means cool, but in comparison to the heat seconds earlier, it was as if she'd been immersed in a glacier.

 _"_ _I suppose you're wondering why I just did that. It's simple – to remind you of why you're here."_

It took Laura a few moments to gather enough strength for her to speak.

"What – what do you want?"

 _"Now, now,"_ Eiling's contrite expression twisted into something ugly, and if she'd been more aware, Laura might have feared for her life, _"let's not get too worked up. You see, Dr. Sanders, we've been watching you, and your partner, for a very long time – almost as long as either of you have existed, so to speak. Now, I imagine it must be nice, being able to run around, pretending to be a hero, but in reality, both of you are being incredibly selfish. And I've never been fond of someone who doesn't have the common decency to share what they have."_

Oh. Oh God.

"No…no, you ccan't-"

 _"_ _I can, and I will. Imagine, the look on our enemies' faces when our troops can move faster than they can blink. Imagine how much a living weapon like F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. could do in combat. You're going to be an important asset, Dr. Sanders. The only choice you have to make is whether you suffer."_

 _You bastard_ , Laura wanted to scream, but the heat had drained her, and even trying to put together to words was beyond her. Still, despite how sluggish and tired she felt, how much it felt she was about to melt in that tin coffin right there and then, Laura was able to put together what Eiling was saying.

"You're…you're delusional."

 _"_ _Perhaps. But in the meantime, I have someone else to attend to – I'm quite curious to see which one of you will break first."_

"Fuck you."

 _"_ _Goodbye, Dr. Sanders. I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough."_

And just like that, Laura was alone.

* * *

"Jesus _Christ_!"

To be trapped was an infuriating thing, Laura decided with a shout of frustration, as she was once again forced to halt her efforts to escape. She'd lost track of time since waking up to complete darkness, and the thought that hours – perhaps even days – could have passed since Eiling had taken her, frightened her to no end.

Unfortunately, that was only the beginning. Apparently, Eiling hadn't been lying about watching her and Barry; whatever technology the general and his men had put into the capsule, it was clear that it had been designed just for her. At least it seemed to be that way, if how the capsule suddenly seemed to turn into an oven any time she caused the temperature to drop was any indication. After a few seconds, the temperature would return to a bearable level, but Laura was certain that she'd blacked out at least three times out of the ten plus times she'd tried to summon even the least amount of cold. The worst part was, every time the temperature returned to normal, Laura couldn't help but feel as if it had risen somehow, which made using her powers even more difficult each time.

She wondered if Eiling and the Reverse Flash had ever gotten together to trade tips on trapping metahumans.

Sighing, Laura closed her eyes, forcing her body into stillness despite the voice in the back of her head that screamed at her to move, to break free. Past experience had taught her that constant exertion under high temperatures only left one susceptible to heat exhaustion, and in turn heat stroke, though she supposed it was a little too late for that. Still, she did her best to remain relaxed, keeping her breathing slow and shallow in order to conserve energy, and as the heat continued to seep into her body, Laura allowed herself to think.

There weren't a lot of options, that much was clear. It was only a matter of time before Eiling decided to stop toying with her, and she suppressed a shudder of fear at the thought of what he had planned. Unfortunately, the only other option, besides waiting for the general to return and hope for a chance of escape, was to escape before he returned, which Laura knew was not going to be an easy task. The only real weapons she had in this situation were her abilities; the unfortunate thing was, even if she could maintain a reasonable amount of cold long enough to break herself free, the resulting heat would only send her right back to square one, which would only waste more time. So, in reality, Laura did have options – except there were only two, and no matter which one she chose, there was a fairly equal chance of either killing her.

However, as she lay there, Laura's mind drifted towards the container itself that held her. The mechanism that raised the temperature was obviously activated by either a rise or drop in the capsule's internal temperature; there had to be some sort of mechanism that regulated how much of a change it could take before it needed to be corrected. The question was: how much _could_ it take?

Laura liked to believe that she was intelligent. When she was alert and well-rested, the only thing that stood between her and the answer to a problem was time, and given enough of it, she would eventually persevere. Unfortunately, all of that went out the window when exhaustion started to set in. Not when she was merely tired, or when she hadn't slept nearly as long as she could have. In university, she'd learnt early on that once simple exhaustion turned into sleep deprivation, there was no limit to what kinds of ridiculousness she could dream up. At some point during her finals, for whatever reason, she'd had the absurd thought that it was a good idea to make macaroni and cheese at four in the morning without any water. Or a pot. Luckily, she'd just barely avoided burning down the dorm, but it just so happened that this process was happening at that very moment.

As far as she knew, Laura had never reached the full extent of her abilities. Pushing herself to her limits and beyond was simply something she'd never considered, as there had never been any need for it. Now, as she laid there, her mind working in every possible direction, it suddenly became clear that if she had no idea of the limits of her powers, then neither did Eiling. Which meant that his machine was flawed.

And if there was a flaw, then she could exploit it.

 _Here goes nothing._

It began slowly – a small wisp of cold curling to life in her stomach, rising out of the underlying energy that thrummed beneath her skin. As it grew, swirling inside of her like the beginnings of a tornado, it was almost a herculean feat to keep it that way. Laura knew that if she let it out too soon, then the heat would return, and she would be damned if she was going to waste anymore time. Still, some part of her ached to release the cold as it continued to grow; she'd never held so much of it in before, and Laura wondered beyond the strange sensation of being pulled apart at the seams if she had overestimated just how much her own body could handle the task.

 _Too late to turn back now._

Gritting her teeth, Laura pushed more cold into the vortex, gasping out in shock as it suddenly and quite violently pushed to be released from the confines of her body. Unfortunately, what she had the ability to control now seemed to have gained a mind of its own, and agony shot through her body as she fought to keep all of it inside. Dimly, she registered that the air was scalding, but there was nothing she could do to dissipate the cold, not without releasing it. A few more seconds passed, and Laura let out a gasp as something clicked inside of her. It was almost as if the floodgates that held the cold back had been unlocked – they were just waiting to be opened. All she needed to do was let it all out, let go of all of that energy in one single blow, and hope that she had not been wrong.

 _God_ , she hoped she wasn't wrong.

And with the force of a thousand storms raging inside of her…

…Laura let go.

* * *

The world was white.

Any other time, it might have struck her as odd, that her entire world appeared to have been bleached white.

Unfortunately, Laura was more concerned with other things – such as how her stomach had suddenly decided to rebel against her and jump up her throat. Sweat dripped down her face and her entire body seemed to shake, and if she'd had been able to, she might have said something rather obscene, rather loudly. Seeing as she didn't, though, Laura was forced to remain satisfied with the fact that her stomach, thankfully, had nothing left to give to the floor.

Through the haze of sickness, it vaguely came to Laura's attention that she had previously been restrained. If she'd had had the presence of mind to investigate, Laura might have looked behind her. She might have seen the lid of the capsule she'd been trapped inside, damaged to the point that it looked like someone might have punched it off, if not for the unnatural layer of frost on the underside. She might have seen her restraints lying shattered, covered in frost.

If she'd looked, Laura might have understood that the reason the world was white was not because it had suddenly become so. She might have looked down at herself and seen how pale she'd become. She might have wondered at the sight of thick sheets of mist flowing out of her skin, radiating a faint white light in the darkness.

But Laura didn't. Instead, Laura pushed herself up to her feet, and began the arduous process of making her way towards the door, leaving a trail of frosted footprints in her wake.

No one stood outside the room, but Laura hardly would have noticed if there had been. The effort it took her to take each step would have landed her all the way at the top of Mount Everest, and it was no small thing that she managed to round the first corner, leaning against the wall the entire time. Fortunately, as with every step Laura took, the white that left her blinded bled away, until only all that was left was the concrete hallway. It was only when Laura had made her way around the fourth corner that she heard something she'd heard before. A distinct popping sound, somewhere in the distance, and…and shouting.

Lots of shouting.

It could have been hours before Laura reached the doors, and years possibly passed in the time it took her to wrench them open. But as she stepped out into a sprawling compound, Laura was met with a troubling sight.

Through the gates of the compound stood a figure that Laura just barely recognized, the sight of his face causing fear to bubble up inside of her, even from such a distance. She couldn't see who he was speaking to, if he was speaking at all, but then the man was reaching for something at his waist, a move she was all too familiar with. At once, the fear that Laura felt transformed into rage of a magnitude she hadn't felt in a long time, and she screamed a name across the distance as white filled her vision once again. As she broke into a run, her body bursting with energy, one only thought filled Laura's head:

 _Not again._

And then, Laura was streaking across the distance, catapulted forward by some unseen force, before she collided with a solid body, her arms locking around the person as she did so. The force of the impact reminded her of being thrown into a wall, but the body gave way and the two of them were sent sprawling. Reaching out blindly for the man's weapon, Laura felt a small sense of triumph when it froze underneath her grasp, and with all of her strength, brought it down against the ground, shattering it into bits. For a while afterwards, Laura simply laid there, staring at the mess of her hand, before she dragged herself to her feet and staggered over to the man.

From where she stood over him, the man – Eiling, she remembered – looked far less threatening than he had on the other side of the capsule. Tired. Pained. Small.

"Do it."

It took Laura several seconds to realize that he had spoken.

" _Do it_." He spat at her, and Laura would have taken a step back, would have flinched, would have reacted – if she'd felt threatened. There was no fear, no unease in her now, as she stared down at him, for she knew now that she had the upper hand, and that he was the one at a disadvantage. It filled her a sense of triumph, of power, something that not even discovering her powers had been able to give her, and beyond all reason, it excited her.

If Eiling asked for her to end it, if he begged for her to spare him, there was really nothing that he could do to stop her. It would easy to get rid of him, she thought, to be done and over with it, to wipe Wade Eiling and his terrible legacy of the face of the earth. She could do it, and there would be nobody to stop her. It was an exhilarating thought.

It _terrified_ her.

"No."

"Afraid to make a choice?"

"My choice is _no_."

A laugh. Bitter and cold and angry.

"You're cowards, all of you. You're never going to be worth anything if you can't make a goddamn choice."

"I've made a choice," it was becoming harder to string together words, exhaustion slurring her words, "to not kill you."

"But I can always go back on that choice. The next time I see your face, I may not make the same choice I'm making now. If I ever, ever see you near this city again, I will make you regret everything you've ever done. And when that day comes – we'll see who the real coward is."

When Laura finished speaking, it was clear that her message had gotten across to the general. As he clambered to his feet, she registered a wariness in his eyes, something that didn't quite fit with the image of the man who had abducted her for the sake of turning her powers into weapons. There was a moment of silence as they stared each other down, neither of them speaking as they kept each other's gazes. It was with a sense of relief that Laura watched Eiling finally turn around and begin dragging his battered body back towards the compound. She continued to watch, even as her knees began to knock together, her vision blurring, and it was only when he finally disappeared from her line of sight that Laura wrenched her gaze away.

"Laura?"

The world seemed to tilt on its axis as Laura turned to face the voice, relief bursting in her chest when she saw Ronnie standing there. However, there was something off about him that she couldn't quite place, and the exhaustion that ran through prevented her from holding her tongue.

"Are – are your eyes white?"

"Oh, about that – Stein says he's grateful."

"…t-that's new."

"You could say th – Laura, are you alright?"

He was staring strangely at her now, and on the edges of her vision, Laura thought she saw another figure, though she knew that she didn't need to defend herself against them, whoever they were. Every part of her seemed to be on fire, and the world tilted again as Laura grabbed on to two pairs of outstretched arms, the warmth of the darkness calling to her temptingly as she looked up into a pair of concerned green eyes.

"I think – I think I'm going to pass out now."

The last thing Laura saw before everything went blissfully dark was the ground rushing up to meet her, and then nothing else.

* * *

"Well, it looks like your temperature has finally gone back to normal. That means that the nausea and the dizzy spells should disappear soon, but I wouldn't recommend doing anything to extraneous for the next little while. Any questions?"

"Yeah; did you just say normal?"

"…oh my God, I don't why I said that. What was I thinking?"

Laura would have laughed if she'd had the strength. She did manage a small chuckle, but she was forced to cut it off as the pounding headache she'd finally gotten rid off returned with a vengeance. Caitlin just clucked her tongue disapprovingly as she pocketed her thermometer, and handed her a few painkillers with a glass of water, sitting down at the foot of the couch to watch Laura swallow the pills.

It had been a few days since the end of their battle with Eiling, and Laura had spent most of that time under the watchful care of her team, her body a haphazard collection of bruises that made even sitting down a chore. Once she'd woken up in S.T.A.R. Labs, with enough painkillers in her system to take down an elephant, the others had it upon themselves to help her catch up with current events. From what she could recollect of what they'd told her, Barry had been the one to notice her absence at the lab the following morning, right around the same time Stein had been declared missing. Apparently, Eiling had taken them both on the same night; the only reason they'd been able to find them both was the lingering connection between him and Ronnie that had led them to the compound. How exactly it worked, Laura had decided she was better off not knowing, at least if she didn't want her head to implode.

As it so happened, unfortunately, their rescue and Eiling's defeat had been followed by the announcement from Ronnie and Stein of their decision to depart from Central City for the time being. One of Stein's colleagues, an old classmate who had consulted on F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M., was apparently willing to work with both men on expanding their abilities, and it was with some regret that they had departed just that day.

"Thanks." Laura murmured, burrowing herself further into the makeshift bed she'd set up on the couch, doing her best to return Caitlin's fond smile. As Caitlin stepped away to return the glass to the sink, the front door swung open, and Barry and Cisco stepped inside, carrying a couple of plastic bags with them. Laura could only presume that they were snacks from the way Cisco seemed to somehow already finished half a package of red licorice.

"So, what are we watching tonight?"

" _Not_ Star Wars."

"Aw, come on!"

"My house, my rules. Besides, it's not like I have terrible taste in movies."

"Debatable."

Laura rolled her eyes as Cisco began to make himself acquainted with her TV's remote, smirking at the chuckle that Barry let out as he caught her expression. In a flash of lightning, the snacks were laid out in bowls across the floor, one filled to the brim with pretzels positioned right where Laura could reach without having to move too much.

"I'm going to miss that." Barry turned to look back at her as she settled himself against the couch, a cushion propped up behind his back.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, when I learn how to fly, I'm going to see less and less of Barry Allen's version of the teacup ride at Disneyworld."

"Hey, don't get too excited."

"Oh, I would never. There's simply nothing I enjoy more than jumping into the Flash's arms every time we have to go fight crime."

"Shut up, you love jumping into my arms."

If she hadn't needed it to hold up her head, Laura might have smacked his head with the pillow underneath her head, but she settled for tossing a pretzel at him. She grinned tiredly at the startled noise it brought out of him, and she ducked underneath the blanket as he tossed it back at her. However, just as the two of them were getting riled up, Cisco stepped in with a mock scowl, waving the remote at them both.

"Hey, cut it out you two!"

"Sorry, Cisco. Did you find a movie you liked?"

"Oh, right. Are we all cool with _The_ _Fifth Element_?

As the movie began, everyone settling into their own little place on the floor, Laura's eyes lingered on Cisco for a moment longer, her mind drifting as the opening credits played. Her mind was no longer with her friends in her apartment, but with the envelope she had taken the time to put together that was on its way to Cisco's apartment, two pieces of paper inside, and a simple note tucked between them with her handwriting on it. She thought of the words she'd written on the note, not demanding answers but promising him that she would wait until he was ready, ready to tell her whatever it was that he was keeping from her.

As long as it took, she would wait.

But as she turned her attention back to her friends, Laura was content in what she had at the moment.

There was no need for more.

* * *

 _"_ _General Eiling – we have some business to discuss."_

"W-who the hell are you?"

 _"_ _Oh, you know exactly who I am…_ Wade."

"You…I should have known. You're one of _them_."

"Yes, yes, I am. And if there's one thing you should know about me, General, is that I protect my own."

"What do you want?"

"You conducted tests on Laura Sanders while you held her captive. You took samples of her blood. It would be in your best interests if those results were in my possession."

"Over my dead body."

"Oh, Wade. You stupid, stupid man. You really are nothing more than the jock you were in college. I was hoping you would say that."

"What the hell are you going on about?

"I already have the results, and the samples – took them seconds before I took you – and as a bonus, every bit of information on Dr. Sanders and F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. has been wiped clean from your operation's database. I have no need for you, General."

"So why I am here?"

"Because I think it's time for you to meet a dear old friend of ours. He's been waiting a very long time to see you again."

 _ **General...**_

"Who is that?"

 ** _General..._**

"That voice – it's in my hea-Dear God."

 _ **Not God.**_

 _ **Grodd**_

 **Hey guys, sorry about this late addition, but this storyline has been so hard to complete and my midterms are killing me! Anyways, I hope you all continue reading because things are about to heat up here!**

 **P.S. REVIEWS ARE LOVED**

 **Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**


	30. Chapter 30: Time and Time Again

Like most nights spent at a crime scene, the night began with a text from Joe.

The scent of tomatoes and fresh herbs simmering on the stove had filled Laura's apartment when the text came through, an additional pot of water boiling on the stove in preparation for the pasta waiting on the counter. It had been a while since Laura had been able to set aside a decent amount of time for herself, and since the chaos that had become a part of her daily routine had finally seemed to calm down, she'd practically pounced on the chance for some alone time.

One of the things that relaxed Laura the most was cooking, whether for herself or for other people, and cooking Italian in particular. There were many pleasant memories attached to the scent of fresh tomato sauce and the taste of perfectly cooked pasta, that cooking had transformed into a form of meditation on her most stressful days.

Unfortunately, like most things in her life, there was hardly a chance of it going as planned, as she discovered the moment her phone dinged loudly from where it sat safely away from the stove. For a good minute, Laura stared at the phone, weighing the pros and cons of not answering it. Hesitating a moment before unlocking it, Laura let out a frustrated groan when she saw who the message was from – and what it said.

 _Need you down at the morgue, NOW – JW_

 _How urgent? – LS_

 _Captain and the mayor are on the move – JW_

 _Got it; I'm on my way – LS_

 _ETA? – JW_

 _Be there in 10 – LS_

 _Make it 5 – JW_

Joe hadn't been kidding about how urgent the situation was, Laura decided grimly as she stepped off the bus and into the rain. It looked like the entire block around the morgue had been cordoned off, which she supposed was a good thing, but at the front entrance was, a swarm of reporters and cameramen had gathered, all of them doing their damn best to get the scoop on the latest murder. There was a line of officers in front of the yellow tape, and a few by the door, probably meant to keep the horde of ravenous jackals at bay; the one who caught her eye was kind enough to lift the tape and open the door for her after checking her identification.

Inside the morgue, however, was even more of a madhouse. The uniforms were swarming every inch of the place, all of them so preoccupied that it took more than a few cleared throats and some rather passive aggressive taps on the shoulder to gather some sense of where she was meant to be. Luckily, Joe was waiting for her right outside the door of the primary crime scene, his face being what one might find underneath the dictionary definition of 'irritated'.

"Glad you're finally here," Joe grumbled under his breath as he led her into the room where the body was, "the mayor and the captain want this worked out as soon as possible, so all of your other cases are on the backburner for now."

"That sounds a bit extreme; who's the victim?"

"The coroner."

"…you're not serious."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Right, sorry – it's just sounds like the punchline of a bad joke or something. Jesus, what's with all of this water?" Laura wondered aloud as she followed Joe across the room to the body, just barely avoiding stepping into a sizeable puddle and soaking the hem of her jeans in the process.

"Your guess is as good as mine – none of the sprinklers have been turned on, so it might have had something to do with the killer."

"We'll know soon enough, I guess," Laura sighed, strapping on a pair of latex gloves as she crouched down beside the body to start her work, "just give me a shout when Barry gets here, okay?"

"Will do."

A dead body was nothing new to Laura. Of course, it wasn't as if she were completely fine with the fact that her entire job seemed to revolve around the dead and the worst that humanity had to offer. It just so happened that she was very, very skilled at burying unpleasant feelings deep down inside of herself to prevent them from becoming a nuisance. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case today. The sheer sense of revulsion as she stared into the lifeless eyes of the city coroner lasted only a second before she could shut it down. Even though she'd worked many cases in the past several months, before working with the CCPD Laura had only ever really seen one dead body, and while over twenty years had passed since that day, the chill that spread through her every time she saw a corpse had never faded.

It took Laura several minutes to go through the initial stages of evidence collection – brushing out the coroner's hair, scraping underneath his fingernails, checking for any residue in the mouth and ears – but just as she was about move on, her partner arrived in the only fashion he knew how. She winced as Barry's tendency to leap without looking caused him to collide with Captain Singh, spilling his coffee all over them both, and handed him a tissue packet from her jacket as he knelt by her side. Once he was relatively clean, they turned their attention to the body.

"So, I already checked for any bullet wounds and head wounds – from what I can tell, he was neither shot nor hit on the head, nor was he stabbed. However, there is some blood spatter on his lips," Laura indicated with her gloved finger as Barry got his kit set up, "so he likely sustained some sort of blunt force trauma which caused a severe pulmonary contusion."

"You think he might have been beaten to death?"

"There's only one way to find out."

The sight that greeted them as they pulled up the coroner's smock and shirt was not a pretty one. Several bruises, all of them a sickly purple, littered his torso, all of them clearly round and about the size of a tennis ball. It was obvious what the cause of death had been – the only problem was what he had been killed with. There were very few things that could have left such a unique mark, unless their killer had either beaten his victim with the narrow end of a baseball bat or a miniature battering ram. Laura was still racking her brain for possible answers when Barry's voice interrupted her train of thought.

"Laura, take a look at this."

Laura obliged, carefully avoiding touching the body any further as she went to Barry's side. He was staring intently at a shard of something held in his tweezers, and it was only when her partner passed it to her for a closer look that Laura realized what it was.

"You have got to be joking."

"What's going on? Do you two have something?" Joe stood over the both of them, and after sharing a quick look both of them rose to their feet.

"Well, judging by the bruises found on the deceased's torso and this shard of ice," Laura explained as she held out the tweezers for Joe to take a closer look at, "our victim was most likely killed by an object made out of ice, about the size of a tennis ball."

"And, seeing as murders have been committed with weirder weapons, there's a possibility that the coroner was killed by, well, hail."

"Hail? In here?" Joe's expression of confusion had turned into one of disbelief, and Laura supposed that in any other situation, she and Barry might have been feeling the same thing. "You think this was Snart?"

"No, the cold gun isn't built to create solid objects like this; this wasn't him."

"Then who?"

Laura didn't have an answer for Joe, and neither, for once it seemed, did Barry. However, as they stood there, trying to wrap their heads around the situation, all three of their attentions turned to Eddie as he came up to them, holding out what looked like a recording device. The older man looked somewhat shaken, and more than a little worried, which did absolutely nothing to settle the growing uneasiness in the pit of Laura's stomach about the entire situation.

"Joe, there's…there's something you need to hear."

* * *

It was quiet in the Pipeline.

The cavernous space that ran underneath the hollowed-out shell of S.T.A.R. Labs might have seemed eerie to some. In the time since the explosion, more than the city's fair share of news reporters had descended into the bowels of the building, only to find themselves incapable of remaining there for long among the ruins of the once promising particle accelerator. There were even some who had asked for it be destroyed, or at least condemned, considering the harm that had resulted from that catastrophic night.

However, as she sat in a secluded corner of the space, far removed from the world around her, Laura thought not of what the particle accelerator had done to the people in her city. No, in fact, her mind had become increasingly focused on Mark Mardon, and the murder he had committed.

Although Laura had never met either Clyde or Mark Mardon, there was much to learn from the history the police department had compiled on the brothers over the years. The living Mardon brother was the eldest, having spent built up an impressive criminal career with his brother, though there was little information about their childhood. From what she'd learned about their career choices, Laura had come to the conclusion that the Mardons had spent a good portion of their young life in foster homes. However, what was most interesting about the pair of brothers was not their history, but their abilities.

According to her teammates, Clyde's abilities had been a result of his proximity to the storm on the night of the incident, and had granted him the ability to manipulate certain aspects of the weather. It only made sense, then, that Mark had acquired a similar set of metahuman abilities, considering that the two of them had been in the same place that night. Still, where Clyde's powers had been rather specific, his brother's powers appeared to have a wider range – which made him all the more dangerous. And dangerous men were not to be taken lightly.

"Laura? Am I interrupting something?"

Laura was fairly certain that if she had not already heard the telltale whir of Dr. Wells' wheelchair approaching, she might have experienced a slight heart attack. However, as her former employer had yet to find a way to silence his movements, Laura was prepared for him and opened her eyes just in time to see him come into view. He looked slightly amused, which Laura supposed was due to the fact that she was sitting in cross-legged in the dark with her eyes closed, but there were no signs of maliciousness in the smile he tried to hide as he pulled up in front of her.

"Not really. I just needed a moment to think – you know how antsy Cisco gets when he's on an engineering binge."

"Indeed. Well, it's certainly not the first place I would have thought of, but I suppose we all have our methods. Would I be correct if I were to say that your thoughts were preoccupied with Mr. Mardon?"

"Yeah," Laura muttered under her breath as she climbed to her feet, doing her best to stretch out the muscles that had gone stiff in the meantime, "you could say that. I mean, I don't doubt that whatever MacGuffin Cisco's going to come up with is going to work, it's just…"

"Yes?"

"…I'm not sure it's going to be enough."

"May I ask why?"

Underneath Dr. Wells' unwavering gaze, Laura suddenly felt as if she were a specimen, lying prone under a microscope for his inspection. She wondered briefly if she had made the right choice talking to him about this, instead of her friends, but there wasn't much point in stopping a conversation that had already started.

"John Dawson."

"Ah." He breathed out, a quick nod of his head telling her that he at least somewhat understood her concerns. Laura felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders as he continued to speak. "Yes, I can see how our encounters with Mr. Dawson might raise some concerns about Mark Mardon."

"It's not just that. Grief and loss can change you, but it's impossible to become a completely different person. Before he lost his mother, John was. Well, good. When he was going after those men, they were the only people who needed to suffer. It wasn't about vengeance – it was about justice, about getting the truth out there. But the Mardon brothers weren't good people, not even close. I mean, the coroner wasn't attached to Clyde's death in any way, and Mardon bludgeoned him to death."

"Dr. Wells," Laura sighed deeply, pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, "as long as Joe eventually suffers for Clyde's death, Mardon won't care who gets hurt in the process. And I think it's only going to get worse."

The police department seemed to have taken on the air of a mausoleum when Laura and Cisco finally made their way inside later that afternoon. After she had unloaded her concerns on to the rather gracious Dr. Wells, Laura had received a text from Barry with news that Mardon had ambushed him and Joe while they were away from the station. Thankfully, neither of them had been hurt in the attack, but the news had put all of them at S.T.A.R. on edge until Cisco was finished. As they stepped into the lobby, Laura felt a rush of relief at the sight of Joe waiting for them by the front desk, which was only slightly diminished by the frustrated expression on his face.

"Hey, we heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"Relax, I'm fine."

As much the older man prided himself on his detective work, there were times when Joe West wore his emotions on his sleeve. At that moment, it was clear to Laura that something besides Mardon's threats to his life was bothering him. Any other time, Laura might have been willing to take Joe aside and talk to him at length about it; it wasn't as if she hadn't had to pull information from people before. However, there were more important things that required their attention, so when Cisco called them over from the table in the center of the room, she decided that it was best to let the subject drop. The case they'd brought along with them from S.T.A.R. was open, and Joe and Laura gathered around as Cisco gingerly lifted the thin, metallic device inside to display it to them.

"So, how exactly does this thing work?"

"Long story short, it's pretty much like a lightning rod." Cisco explained as he placed it into Joe's waiting hands. "The unbound particles in the air allow Mardon to manipulate weather, so by using the wand to attract those particles, our 'Weather Wizard' won't have much to work with."

"Good job, Cisco. Oh, before I forget – Laura, Captain Singh wanted to talk to you about the lab results from the evidence you and Barry collected at the morgue."

"Thanks, Joe." Laura nodded before she turned to Cisco, who had already begun to unpack the rest of his equipment. "Hey, are we still on for Friday night?"

"Definitely." He replied with a smile, which might have been enough for her had it not been painfully obvious that his mind was elsewhere. For a moment, she lingered a few feet from his side, watching as he turned to talk to Joe, and briefly, Laura felt the urge to, for once, not remain quiet about what was bothering her.

Then, she turned on her heel, and without a single look back, walked straight into the bullpen.

As crowded as the bullpen normally was, it now seemed that the room was bursting at the seams with uniforms and detectives. Laura nearly snapped at one officer who stepped in front of her, before reining in her anger and letting them pass. Luckily, the captain's door was cracked open, and Laura took a few seconds to calm down before knocking briefly and poking her head inside. Captain Singh was sitting at his desk, surrounded by piles of paperwork, and Laura felt a pang of sympathy when she caught a glimpse of the rings of exhaustion lining his eyes.

"Sanders, thank God. Close the door behind you, will you?"

Laura obliged, careful to make as little noise as possible so as not to disturb him any further, and when the lock finally clicked shut, she stepped forward.

"Joe said you wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yeah – not sure if you've heard, but the mayor's holding a press conference at city hall tomorrow night, and I don't need to tell you how excited the press gets about these damn metahuman cases. They also love it when we trip over our words, so we need to be prepared for anything they'll spring on us."

"Okay," Laura nodded, finally understanding what the captain was asking for, "I can make a summary of all the lab results to go along with the investigation files, if that'll help."

"Great. And make sure those bloodhounds will be able to understand it; last time I got Allen to do this for me, I swear..."

"I'll get right on it, sir." She assured Singh, knowing exactly where that conversation was heading, but just as she turned to leave, a violent crashing noise from beyond the door caught her attention. Her heart pounding, Laura swung the door open, the captain already on his feet, only to come to an abrupt halt when she saw Joe lying prone in the middle of the floor, the doors in pieces where he had apparently crashed through them. On the other side of the barrier, however, stood the single person Laura had not been expecting to see – or rather, hoping not to see – his entire being radiating malice towards the detective who lay helpless before him.

Mark Mardon.

Almost entirely in unison, every armed officer in that room raised their weapons at Mardon, but as she stood there, rooted to the spot, Laura could already feel the air in the room changing. There was barely enough time for her to yell out a warning as thunder rumbled outside, and she only caught a glimpse of Mardon's face before the force of a small storm shattered the remaining doors, throwing the entire room into chaos.

In the middle of the storm, Mardon seemed almost removed from reality, the glee on his face terrifying to look at in the darkness. However, as Laura watched, Mardon raised his hand towards the sky, and suddenly, the darkness was lit up with the harsh white light of lightning as it crashed through the window. Time seemed to slow as the lightning flew towards Mardon's hands, and Laura felt her heart stop when she realized who exactly Mardon wanted as his target.

She could feel Captain Singh step out from behind her, and before she realized what she was doing, Laura was pushing past him. Her feet moved on their own accord, carrying her across the room, and the last thing Laura heard as she threw herself into the path of the lightning was someone screaming her name.

* * *

The first thing Laura noticed when she opened her eyes was how empty the world had become.

She blinked several times, wondering if that might help to clear her vision. When the unusual grey stillness remained, she huffed out a sigh and turned to look around her. She stood, or rather floated, in what appeared to be an endless void of grey, with no end, beginning, or middle in sight.

It was quite calming, to be honest. Here, it was easy to forget.

However, as Laura's mind began to drift, her eyes caught sight of a figure in the distance.

"Hey!"

It was odd, how her voice did not echo as she called to the stranger, but she couldn't really be bothered to wonder why that was the case. The figure did not move, either, and Laura pondered calling out again before a streak of lightning shot through the grey-

-and then she was standing in the bullpen

"What the fuck?" Laura breathed. The last time she remembered being in the bullpen – how long ago had that been? – it looked as if the world had been ending. Now, it was nearly empty, debris and desks scattered everywhere, although the sky outside the windows was still dark. The strangest thing to Laura, however, was how the entire world appeared to have been washed grey.

"I don't give a damn about what the press wants – they're not getting a damn thing from me!" Laura nearly jumped out of her skin at the bark, and turned around just in time to see Captain Singh march into the bullpen. He looked haggard as he shouted into his phone, and she wondered what might have happened to make him look that way. She took a step towards him, opening her mouth to call out to him, and was shocked when he walked right past her and into his office, slamming the door behind him without even a second glance. Something was off, and Laura strode up to the door, lifting her hand to knock on the door.

"Captai-"

Only to have her hand pass right through it.

 _Shit._

For a good minute, Laura stared at the door, which appeared to have swallowed half of her arm. Still staring, she took a step forward, and let out a shuddering gasp as she passed through what should have been solid wood and glass into Captain Singh's office.

"Oh, God. Oh God, oh God, oh God…" It was safe to say that something was very not right, Laura thought frantically as she stepped into the room. Captain Singh sat at his desk, and by the way he no longer seemed to be shouting into his phone, he was talking to a different person. Still not yet fully hyperventilating, Laura cautiously made her way over to the other side of the captain's desk. He remained utterly unaware of her presence in the room, and as Laura reached out to touch his shoulder, her stomach doing something unspeakable when it passed through him as well.

Her mind whirling, Laura wrenched her arm away from Captain Singh, stumbling back a few feet – only to find herself elsewhere.

"What the fuck is going on?" Laura shouted, to no one in particular, when she realized she was standing in a hospital room. Trying to get the beating of her heart under control, she did a slow scan of the room, only to stop when she saw that she was not alone. Whoever was in the bed did not appear to be awake, but it was difficult to see who they were from where she stood, underneath the mask and all the tubing.

As her panic subsided, Laura felt strangely compelled to see who this person was, and slowly began to approach the bed. As she did so, however, she became aware of a dull ache in the center of her chest, which only grew stronger with every step she took. By the time Laura reached the side of the bed, she was gasping in pain, and tears blurred her vision so much that she could not see who was lying before her. As the ache suddenly spiked, Laura forced herself to take a step back, and for just a second, she could see herself, pale and lifeless, lying on the bed.

 _Mardon – the lightning – oh, god, not again, not again, not again-_

All of a sudden, the panic from earlier returned with a vengeance, and Laura blindly scrambled towards the door, only to pull up short when it opened, and a familiar face stepped inside.

"Barry?"

Her partner looked just as bad as Captain Singh had, maybe even worse, and he passed right through her as he made his way up to the bed. Laura hesitated a moment, tempted to leave the room and, well, go somewhere else. However, there was something about the way Barry looked as he stood at her bedside, his gaze never moving from her, that persuaded her to stay.

"I'm…I'm so sorry, Laura. I'm going to find Mardon, I promise – he's not going to hurt anyone else, and he's not going to get away with hurting you."

She recognized the guilt in her partner's voice, and as she watched Barry, Laura suddenly yearned for the ability to touch him, if only to hold him and let him know that he was not the reason she was lying in that hospital bed. But all she could do was stand there and listen to his whispered promises, until a nurse knocked on the door to let him know visiting hours were over. Laura stayed in the room for a while after Barry left, staring out the window and listening to the rain fall, before the world changed again.

This time, Laura was a bit more prepared for the change in scenery. It was a bit of a relief to find herself in S.T.A.R. Labs, but that relief was dampened when she saw where she was. The machine that had failed to contain the Reverse Flash in the middle of the room, and Laura shuddered slightly as she remembered the events of that night. Turning, she saw Cisco sitting at his computer, staring at something on the screen with a frown on his face as she typed. Like everyone else she'd seen so far, he looked as if he'd hardly slept, but as she looked more closely, it appeared that he had also been crying.

 _Oh, Cisco._

"What the – I don't understand, this doesn't make any sense." Cisco grumbled as he rose to his feet, and Laura followed him as he went to fiddle with a large device that stood by the machine. However, she was caught off guard when the machine flickered to life – and brought the Reverse Flash along with it.

"Jesus fucking Christ-" Laura started, getting ready to bolt out of the room, until she realized that Cisco had not moved. He stood there, frozen in place, staring at the trapped speedster, which altogether was quite odd. What was even more odd was the look on his face, and it was only when he started to approach the machine that Laura realized the Reverse Flash was standing stock still behind the force fields. At his computer, Cisco pressed a button, and Laura could not avoid flinching when she heard the familiar grating voice of the speedster begin to speak. However, as he continued to talk, Laura realized that something was wrong – she had heard the Reverse Flash say those things before, word-for-word, in the control room after her escape.

 _"Oh, I'm not like the Flash at all…"_

A recording. A hologram. Anything but the real thing.

The Reverse Flash had never been trapped, but he had wanted them to think he had been. He'd lured everyone with a weapon into the room that night. When the capacitors had malfunctioned and the force fields had fluctuated, he'd trapped Dr. Wells alongside him. He'd beaten Dr. Wells to a pulp as they'd watched on, nearly killed him even, but if the Reverse Flash had never been there in the first place…

"…some would say I'm the reverse."

* * *

It made sense, Laura thought bleakly, as she listened to Dr. Wells speak. No, not Dr. Wells – Eobard Thawne, whoever that was. In some sick, twisted way, everything about the mystery of the Reverse Flash made sense, now that she knew the truth.

"Joe was right. You were there that night, fifteen years ago, in Barry's house…you killed Nora Allen."

"That was never my intention, to kill Nora. I was there to kill Barry."

"You goddamn bastard," Laura snarled, completely aware that they could neither hear nor see her. But the rage that had accompanied Wel-Thawne's revelation, the rage of knowing that their greatest enemy had been among them the entire time, was beginning to overwhelm Laura. If she had been able to do so, Laura would have frozen Eobard Thawne where he stood, and taken great delight in shattering what remained of the speedster. However, as she tried to regain control of her anger, Laura noticed that Thawne was starting to circle Cisco, slowly. His slow, careful movements reminded her too much of a predator stalking its prey, and when she caught a look at the expression on Thawne's face, Laura thought he almost looked regretful.

 _No – no, not him-_

"You're smart, Cisco," Thawne spoke, before the arm he raised began to vibrate, and Laura gasped in horror as what he was about to do became perfectly clear, "but you're not that smart."

"No, no, please, not him, not him, please, no, please-" Laura pleaded, the sudden surge of panic driving her to try and lunge into Thawne's path, but she simply passed right through him. Both she and Cisco were crying now, and she wondered, briefly, if this was some sort of punishment, to see the one thing she had never wanted to see happen. Laura shut her eyes, trying to block out the sound of Thawne's voice as she turned away.

 _Please._

"Because the truth is, I've grown quite fond of you."

 _Please._

"And in many ways, you've shown me what it's like to have a son."

And as Eobard Thawne plunged his hand towards Cisco's chest, the world changed.

 **Hey guys, what's up? God, it's been so long since I last posted a chapter that it feels so strange doing this again. I have to admit, this was a tough one to figure out - it was originally going to go very differently, but then I changed my mind and made it even more angsty than it was going to be. Anyways, I hope that you guys like this chapter and if you have any question, comments, or complaints, review are always welcome. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!**


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